BovINEBeef Innovation Network Europe
BovINEThe BovINE Project has nine Network Managers based in each of the nine countries involved in the project. These Network Managers are responsible for the creation and development of local networks, as well as organising the national level events held in Autumn of each year.
Dirk Audenaert
Boerenbond
My name is Dirk Audenaert and have been a consultant in livestock at the Boerenbond since 25 years. In this role I have direct contact with the beef farmers and I put the focus on the economic figures of the farm. In Boerenbond we have the FOCUS bookkeeping so I can search together with the beef farmer to the factors which are important for a better profitability.
The beef sector in Belgium is very unique by the dominance of the Belgian Bleu. Beef farmers, full of passion, can produce in this way good beef on Flemish ground which is very expensive. Other races are less important.
As network manager in Flanders I want to be the bridge between research and practice. I hope that we can form a network of beef farmers, advisors and other stakeholders so we can bring our experience together. Together we are looking for the “good practices” on a European level.
Airi Kulvert
Liivi
Airi Külvet, member of the board of Liivimaa Lihaveis, has been active in the grass-fed production for 20 years. She has degree in animal science from the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
As a farmer, she has introduced sustainable grazing methods, which would provide living conditions and habitats for all naturally occurring species as well as grass-fed cattle.
Airi has also taught farmers in the framework of various projects led by cooperation partners Eesti Lihaveisekasvatajate Selts and Organic Farming Platform.
She has a good grasp on the situation with the Estonian grass-fed beef farms, the advisors’ networks, and research and educational projects pertaining to grass-fed cattle.
Marie Penn
FNB
Mrs Marie PENN holds a Master’s degree in advanced agronomy (spec. vegetal productions) obtained in 2012, at Agro-campus Ouest (Angers, France).
During five years, she worked for the agricultural insurance company, Groupama. First, she worked as product manager in the one of the 9 regional mutuals of Groupama, located in Brittany and Pays de la Loire. She was in charge of the greenhouses insurances issues, farm buildings and mortality of animals. Then, she worked at the head at the Group’s operational strategy of this insurance named Groupama Assurances Mutuelle, located in Paris.
She was involved in the elaboration of the new climatic insurance product, for grasslands, in case of climate-related events (drought, excess or deficit of temperature).
She has been working for FNB as a project manager since summer 2017, in Paris. She is the interlocutor within the beef inter-branch (Interbev), and its actors (slaughterers, distributors, butchers, etc.).
Till Masthoff
BRS
My name is Till Masthoff and I am the German Network Manager.
I am a trained farmer and studied agricultural sciences at the University of Osnabrück and Gießen. In 2017 I finished my PhD thesis on Animal Welfare at the University of Giessen and have been working for the German livestock association ever since. There I am involved in projects related to the breeding of dairy cattle and beef cattle.
German cattle breeding is organised on a federal level and is shaped by many local organisations. German cattle farming is very diverse and ranges from very extensive grass-based farming systems to more intensive systems.
My goal as Network Manager is to make a positive contribution to animal-friendly and efficient management on our beef cattle farms.
KEVIN KINSELLA
REPRESENTING THE IRISH FARMERS ASSOCIATION
Kevin Kinsella, representative for the Irish Farmers Association, is the Network Manager for the BovINE project in Ireland.
BovINE is a unique EU network for sustainable livestock production. It will link farmers, researchers, advisors and other stakeholders across 10 EU countries to stimulate an exchange of ideas and knowledge.
As network manager in Ireland, Kevin Kinsella will help drive and develop the BovINE project among Irish livestock farmers. Working with Teagasc and all of the other stakeholders in the €3 billion beef sector, he will help farmers identify their priority needs and how these can be addressed by using research and knowledge transfer at both National and EU level through the BovINE project.
Kevin Kinsella said, “ I am really looking forward to working with everybody in developing a National network for BovINE in Ireland, where we have excellent beef farmers and massive challenges across all of the key areas of economic sustainability, animal health and welfare, production efficiency and meat quality, and the environment.”
ALESSANDRO MAZZENGA
UNICARVE
I am Alessandro Mazzenga and work at Unicarve, Beef Producers Association.
I got a degree in Agriculture Science at the University of Padova and a PhD in Animal Science.
My main role is reponsible for beef quality and traceability systems. I manage a group of technicians and vets to verify the respect of requirements of voluntary traceability and quality labels, across all operators, farmers, beef processors and selling points.
Alongside this activity, with my colleague Andrea Scarabello, we deal with many services we offer to our beef producers: consulting, techical assistance on all farm managing. We also participate to research projects financed at National or European level.
Unicarve with almost 1000 beef producers and many operators of beef field, can give an important effort to BovINE project and at the same time has the chance to get in contact with good practices of actors of the same field in other realities.
JERZY WIERZBICKI
POLISH BEEF ASSOCIATION
Jerzy Wierzbicki is the President of the Polish Beef Association, an organisation of beef cattle producers and is the network manager of the BOVINE project in Poland.
The Bovine project is the first such a broad initiative to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, good practices, transfer of innovations between farmers and scientists from 10 different EU countries. Combining in one project a wide representation of science and farmers gives a chance for great results.
Through networking, Bovine increases the chances to build competent teams to exchange knowledge, best practices in the areas of meat quality and production efficiency, economic viability of farms, environmental protection and reduction of gas emissions and animal health and welfare. This project is a good starting point for future research and increases the chances for better coordination of research projects in individual countries to improve the condition and competitiveness of the European beef sector. Farmers, advisors and the community and consumers in particular will benefit.
Thematic Network Bovine has a chance to become a leading hub for knowledge exchange in the beef sector between farmers, advisors and scientists.
I am convinced that it will.
JOSÉ PAIS
PROMERT
I am José Pais, zootechnical engineer from Évora University, and I have been working with mertolenga cattle bredeer’s association (ACBM – Associação de Criadores de Bovinos Mertolengos / www.mertolenga.com) in Portugal since 1994. I also have a posgraduate studies in “Mediterranian Agricultural Systems”, and I am responsible for mertolenga breedplan execution and herd book management.
Mertolenga is one of 15 Portuguese cattle breeds and geographically has its manor in the south of Portugal. ACBM has two Mertolenga cattle farms and a feedlot operation (includes a performance test station for young bulls), wich has a important role in Mertolenga PDO meat prodution. Since the beginning I have collaborating with PROMERT – Agrupamento de Produtores de Bovinos Mertolengos S.A. (company responsible for Mertolenga PDO marketing and selling), specially in all matters related with Mertolenga PDO meat production.
In 2015 I took on the role of executive director of ACBM. Within the scope of the ACBM’s functions, I collaborated and developed contacts with practically all organizations in the beef cattle sector in Portugal, from all areas from public to private, production and research.
As a network manager, I am really looking forward to share our experience, ideas and examples with BovINE partners and the more than 250,000 cattle producers spread across europe.
PAOLA EGUINOA ANCHO
INTIA
I am Paola Eguinoa Ancho. I am an Agronomy Engineer (1994, UPNA, Spain) and PhD in Agronomy (1999, UPNA, Spain). I was working in INTIA since 2002. I have over 20 years’ experience in the participation and coordination of National and European R&D projects. My main experience is in ruminant research (product quality, sustainable systems and food security). Also, I was born in a small farm in the Pirineo Mountain. I help my parents in the breed of animals (Pirenaica cows to meet production) and my PhD was around the growth and quality of Pirenaica and Holstein steers and heifers. In instance I have lot of contacts with the bovine sector in Navarra and contacts with research institutes (CITA Aragon, SERIDA Asturias, CIFA Cantabria, IRTA Cataluña,…) and Universities (UNIZAR Zaragoza, UPNA Navarra, UAB Barcelona, …).
My competencies in Livestock are:
The participation in BovINE project will allow, on the one hand, to be aware of the latest research related to the beef sector and, on the other hand, to know first-hand which are the main problems of the beef sector at a European level and what tools are available to deal with them, developing a manual of good practices.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 rural
renaissance programme | Project No: 862590 under call H2020-RUR-2019-15