Antibiotic growth promoters have been used extensively throughout the world to increase milk output in dairy farming, leading to an average 5.4% increase in milk yield. This leads to greater productivity and profitability. Due to concerns over antibiotic-resistance and overuse of antibiotics, these have been banned in the EU since 2006. While non-antibiotic replacement products are used in the EU, these are not as effective. As such, EU dairy farms are at a competitive disadvantage when competing globally. Mayo Healthcare has developed RumenShield Dairy, a non-antibiotic feed additive which acts upon the rumen microbial community to enhance feed efficiency, improve milk output and health of the animal. In preliminary trials has shown an increased milk yield of 7.16% - leading to increased revenue of €173/cow, with a 3.8x return on investment seen. RumenShield Dairy has also shown additional benefits to the cow including reduced rates of lameness, mastitis and increased rates of fertility, which are estimated to save €275-300/cow. RumenShield Dairy acts upon methanogenic bacteria in the rumen. In vitro studies have shown use of RumenShield Dairy can reduce methane emissions by an average of 63%. This has the potential to transform the EU dairy sector, leading to a €4.067Bn increase in dairy output, with a potential 2.74% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions. Increased productivity and reduced carbon footprint shall make the EU dairy sector more competitive internationally, leading to increased exports, job creation and sustainable food production. This multi-party FTI project will optimise the formulation and then manufacture RumenShield Dairy. It will complete large-scale field studies demonstrating superiority over current gold-standard products, leading to a scientific opinion from EFSA regarding product use. The total market opportunity in the EU is €864m, with a total global market size of €2.559Bn. We aim to launch the product on the market during Q3, 2021.

Antimicrobial resistance in livestock is a public health threat due to the risk of zoonotic transmission to humans and its negative consequences on animal health and welfare when diseases cannot be treated. AVANT is a multi-actor inter-sectorial project aimed at developing alternatives to antimicrobials for the management of bacterial infections in pigs, especially diarrhoea during the weaning period, as the major indication for antimicrobial use in livestock in Europe. Antimicrobial treatment options for pigs are increasingly limited because of planned restrictions in the use of colistin and zinc, two current choices for treatment of post-weaning diarrhoea. The AVANT portfolio comprises a variety of alternatives for treatment or prevention of diarrhoea and/or respiratory infections, namely (i) gut-stabilizing interventions based on a symbiotic (pre- and probiotic) product and faecal microbiota transplantation; (ii) novel veterinary medicinal products containing bacteriophages and polymers for targeted treatment of enterotoxigenic E.coli infections; (iii) immuno-stimulating injectable and feed additive products, and (iv) alternative feeding strategies targeting sows and piglets. During pre-clinical studies, efficacy, toxicity, and mode of action of these interventions is tested, and their dosage and formulation optimized. The results and a survey for veterinarian-, farmer- and consumers perception of antimicrobial alternatives, will be used together with legal and economic considerations to select three interventions for large-scale farm trials, assessing clinical efficacy and impact on antimicrobial use. All steps are supported by regulatory advice for quick market entry post-project. Generated and existing data on antimicrobial use, pig demographics and projected consumption of pork, will be used in mathematical modelling to estimate the reduction in antimicrobial use that could be achieved by 2030 if the AVANT alternatives were widely adopted in pig production.

The DEFEND consortium will target two viral diseases of livestock which are emerging into Europe – African swine fever (ASF) and lumpy skin disease (LSD). African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of ASF, a highly contagious disease of domestic pigs which causes a haemorrhagic syndrome with up to 100% mortality. ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and on the Italian island of Sardinia. In 2007 the disease was reported in Georgia. Since then it has spread to Russia, Ukraine, Poland and neighbouring countries. In 2017 outbreaks were reported in the Czech Republic and Romania. Wild boar are susceptible to ASFV and facilitate the continuing spread of the disease in Europe with regular spill-over into in-contact domestic pigs. The capripoxvirus Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV) causes a classic systemic poxvirus disease in cattle and spreads rapidly in warm humid conditions, most likely due to insect-borne transmission. LSDV entered Europe, the Balkans and Caucasus for the first time in 2015. The ongoing epidemic has caused the deaths of thousands of cattle through mortality and eradication campaigns. ASFV and LSDV represent an immediate and serious threat to the pig and cattle industries in Europe and eastern and central Asia. The aim of the consortium is to control the growing LSD and ASF epidemics in Europe and neighbouring countries by understanding the drivers of LSDV and ASFV emergence, and generating research outputs which underpin novel diagnostic tools and vaccines and authenticate appropriate and rapid responses by decision-makers. A multi-actor approach will be incorporated as a central tenant of the project, with collaborations between experts from academia, industry, and government bodies including EU and non-EU partners from countries affected or threatened by ASF and LSD.