WP2: On-farm assessment of effective measures by an impact matrix

WP2: On-farm assessment of effective measures by an impact matrix

Involved partners: UKS, SLU, ONIRIS, IRTA, DSP

A farm-centric approach, making use of a participatory process and an impact matrix, will be used to identify the measures that are likely to be the most effective to improve animal health status. This will be performed on a selection of 50 farms in each of four countries: DE, ES, FR and SE. The countries are selected as having sufficient volume of organic dairy production and to represent different agro-ecological regions. The farms will be selected to represent different production structures. The selection is done in order to encompass a comprehensive and exhaustive variation within Europe so that results are applicable to a wider target population of farms.
The approach involves 1) establishment of a list of variables that are relevant to be addressed at on-farm assessments in the context of animal health; 2) performing the impact matrix analysis on farms in an participatory approach with veterinarian and advisor, identifying those measures that are most likely to be effective in the farm specific situation; 3) benchmarking of the animal health status of farms before and during the participatory process. Information on health status, resources, measures and general characteristics will be collected at farm visits to be used a) to compare health status of organic dairy farms across Europe, b) to elaborate reference values and c) to provide sound data for cost-benefit calculations and attitude studies in WP5.

Objectives in WP2 are:

• Develop an on-farm protocol for assessing animal health status, resources, measures and general characteristics of organic dairy farms,
• Assessing status (ex ante) in relation to the specific estimations of the individual farmer, advisor, veterinarian on how to improve animal health status,
• Develop a participatory and farm-centric approach, based on an impact matrix to assess opportunities and constraints, addressing improved animal health in organic dairy farms,
• Provide an estimation of the European-wide and structural variability of health status, limitations/constraints and options for improvements on organic dairy farms,
• Assess the status of participating farms (ex post) in relation to recommendations arrived at by using an impact matrix,
• Elaborate reference values for achievable standards of animal health on organic farms.

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