An international team of researchers met with poultry sector stakeholders in Storrs to discuss the latest developments in safety and sustainability of antibiotic-restricted poultry production
Researchers from around the world met at a meeting of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)
UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) welcomed fellow researchers and poultry industry representatives from across the US and the world to the Storrs campus to continue their interdependent work on the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded Kumar Venkitanarayanan, CAHNR senior associate dean of research and graduate education and professor of animal science, a $10 million grant in 2020 to lead the initiative.
"This group has made considerable progress on each component of our project - bird health, human health, and the environmental impact of the poultry industry," says Venkitanarayanan. "This has been a collective effort, and being able to meet to continue discussing and sharing ideas keeps our work moving forward."
At the two-day meeting, held at the Innovation Partnership Building, the multi-institutional group and its project teams discussed their on-going efforts to enhance broiler sustainability without antibiotics and ensure safe approaches to improve chicken, human, and environmental health. The meeting comes as the grant enters its final year and the group begins assessing the scope and breadth of the innovations and impacts made over the last five years.
The group has made a number of technological advancements to lower heat stress, improve bird welfare, generate energy from poultry litter, and reduce disease, including a UConn-patented probiotic spray method that improves the hatchability and the health of chicks.
Additionally, the project has also developed classes and outreach programs to train producers and the next generation of poultry farmers, including a class right here at UConn.
Their efforts to ensure the long-term viability, safety, and public trust in antibiotic-restricted poultry farming took a global perspective at the meeting. International speakers discussed poultry production practices around the world, including Mexico, Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa.
The meeting also featured an industry panel Q&A and a poster session.
"We approach our work from a One Health perspective, acknowledging the connection between the health of people, animals, and our environment," says Venkitanarayanan. "This work is critically important for our society and CAHNR is a unique leader in this type of interdisciplinary research."
Other institutions involved in this project are Appalachian State University, University of Arkansas, University of Georgia, Auburn University, Kansas State University, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, Pennsylvania State University, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of Arkansas, Maryland, and Mississippi.
This research is supported by USDA NIFA award number 2020-69012-31823.
This work relates to CAHNR's Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
