The third edition of the Adisseo Research Grant has recognized three innovative research projects, awarding a total of €1m over the next three years.
The projects aimed to address key industry challenges, including climate change and the application of the One Health concept in animal production.
Adisseo reports that over 50 valuable pre-proposals were received and reviewed by the scientific committee.
“This process resulted in the selection of a shortlist of the most promising projects. The shortlisted candidates then submitted comprehensive dossiers, which were meticulously evaluated by the scientific committee.
“All the projects were of very high quality, making the selection process quite challenging. However, the committee members unanimously agreed on three laureates.”
The winning projects aim to identify key leverage points, generate knowledge around feed industry issues, and develop scientific synergies, according to Adisseo.
The winners
Feed intake, protein requirements, and precision feeding models are key project themes:
FEAST-PIG: Further exploration of appetite signals for optimized feed intake in pigs
This project is led by Prof Nadia Everaert from KU Leuven (Belgium), this collaborative work includes researchers from KU Leuven, UNIBO (Italy), and ILVO (Belgium).
Precision feeding models for sustainable swine production: Evaluating energy requirements and environmental impacts on gestating sows
This research is headed by Dr Jay Johnson from the University of Missouri (USA), but also involves a global consortium, including Purdue University (US), University of Melbourne (Australia), Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Brazil), AMVC Nutritional Services (USA), Pig Improvement Company (UK), and Smithfield Premium Genetics (US).
Continuous monitoring of protein efficiency for smarter protein nutrition in weaned piglets
This project is coordinated by Prof Jeroen Degroote from Ghent University (Belgium), with collaboration from Agroscope – Posieux Research Institution (Switzerland).
Advancing animal nutrition
Estelle Devillard, scientific director for nutrition and health at Adisseo, stressed how this initiative supports projects that tackle global animal production challenges.
The funding helps “foster international collaboration and empower researchers to develop sustainable, impactful solutions for the future.”
Independent scientific committee
The selection process for the grant is overseen by an independent scientific committee consisting of leading academics and industry professionals, including:
Academia:
- Richard Ducatelle, Veterinary Pathology, Ghent University (Belgium)
- Yuming Guo, Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing (China)
- Mike Kidd, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas (USA)
- Defa Li, Professor, China Agricultural University, Beijing (China)
- Bruno Silva, Professor, UFMG Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil)
- Japp Van Milgen, Senior Scientist, INRAe (France)
Industry representatives:
- Jaume Coma, Corporate Director for VALL COMPANYS (Spain)
- Carlos Kippert, Technical Advisor in Swine for BRF (Brazil)
- Ferry Poernama, R&D Director for JAPFA (Indonesia)
- Mario Penz, Key Account Dir for Cargill (Brazil)
- Pairat Srichana, R&D Director for CP (Thailand)
- Tom Weber, Technical Manager for Kent Nutrition Group (US)
