In Europe, the consumption of animal products, which had been steadily increasing since the 1970s, has now plateaued or declined (except for poultry). This shift is accompanied by a rising demand for "quality," driven by ethical and environmental concerns related to animal husbandry. The livestock sector in Europe is highly diverse, encompassing contrasting production models. Previous research has shown that different husbandry systems lead to significant variations in environmental impact, animal welfare and health, and the composition of animal-derived products, all of which can influence consumer satisfaction and health. Recent changes in consumer expectations- particularly regarding animal welfare, product naturalness, health benefits, farmers’ livelihoods, and environmental impact -are fostering the development of innovative husbandry practices. However, these emerging trends have not yet been systematically assessed, especially concerning the sustainability of production and the intrinsic quality of products across the various European farming systems.
In this context, stakeholders in the agri-food chain lack objective, robust, and reliable information to effectively meet consumer expectations regarding the multiple dimensions of livestock product quality. The INTAQT project aims to conduct an in-depth, multi-criteria assessment of the relationships between husbandry systems and the quality traits of animal-derived products. This will be achieved through the development of quality assessment and authentication tools, providing science-based decision support for policymakers, industries, farmers, and consumers. The project also seeks to enhance husbandry practices to ensure both high product quality and sustainable production. INTAQT focuses on chicken meat, beef, and dairy products originating from a range of husbandry systems, from extensive to intensive, across various European countries. Adopting a multi-stakeholder participatory approach, the project involves all key actors in the agri-food chain, including farmers, consumers, scientists, certification bodies, policymakers, and the general public.
The main challenges addressed by the project are:
i) Developing comprehensive models to quantify the impact of husbandry systems on quality traits such as product safety, nutritional value, and sensory characteristics.
ii) Co-developing tools with agri-food chain stakeholders to predict the intrinsic quality of animal products, authenticate the husbandry systems they originate from, and establish multi-criteria scoring for product quality.
iii) Promoting innovative farming practices to ensure consistently high-quality, safe, healthy, and flavorful animal products from both extensive and intensive farming systems.
