Ruminant farming plays a vital role in Europe’s food security, rural environments and communities. However, grazing animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats are continuously exposed to parasitic worms, which pose serious risks to their health, welfare, and productivity. For decades, farmers have relied on the preventive use of anthelmintic drugs to control these parasites. While effective in the short term, the widespread and often excessive use of these treatments has led to the escalating spread of anthelmintic resistance – a growing global threat that jeopardizes animal health, farm incomes, and the long-term sustainability of grass-based livestock systems.
The EU-funded SPARC project (Sustainable Parasite Control in Grazing Ruminants) addresses this urgent challenge by fostering a European-wide shift toward sustainable worm control (SWC) strategies. Instead of relying solely on drugs, SPARC promotes innovative and integrated approaches that combine good farming practices, diagnostics, targeted treatments, complementary approaches such as plant-based control and improved decision-making tools.
The overall goal of SPARC is to establish an active multi-actor thematic network across the EU and UK, bringing together stakeholders interested in sustainable worm control. These include farmers, veterinarians, other farm advisors, SPARC project partners, researchers, farmer, veterinary and advisory organisations, producers of (para)pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, diagnostic labs, governmental agencies, other organisations across the livestock production value chain. Throughout the network, easily accessible practice-oriented knowledge will be collected and widely disseminated; examples are best practices, tools, research findings and (existing) innovative solutions on sustainable worm control that are ready to be put into practice, but not sufficiently known or used by practitioners. The aim is to increase the performance and the resilience of ruminant livestock farms by improving (1) animal health and welfare on the farms; (2) economic performance, and (3) the environmental sustainability of the sector.
The project examines behavioural, cultural, and socio-economic factors that influence farmers’ decisions around worm control. These insights are critical to designing approaches that are not only scientifically sound but also practical, acceptable, and widely adopted.
The expected impacts of SPARC are:
1. Animal health and welfare – reducing the burden of parasitic diseases while ensuring responsible use of medicines.
2. Environmental sustainability – lowering drug residues in soils and water and contributing to the green transition of agriculture.
3. Economic resilience – supporting farmers with strategies that sustain productivity and reduce dependence on costly treatments.
4. Production efficiency and quality - knowledge transfer with the support of new digital technologies (platforms, apps, algorithms) as key facilitators.
5. Social innovation – strengthening collaboration between farmers, advisors, and researchers in a lasting multi-actor community of practice.
By combining science, practice, and stakeholder engagement, SPARC aims to curb the spread of anthelmintic resistance and ensure healthier animals, more resilient farming systems, and sustainable food production across Europe.
