Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming (SAFO)

Summary

The organic farming sector has experienced a rapid growth over the past decades. The growth has raised the need to address food safety aspects in relation to animal health, the farm situation and the living conditions of animals. Furthermore, the EU-regulations need to be put into perspectives when food safety is considered.
In principle, organic standards on livestock production must secure animal health and food safety, they must comply with common EU standards, they should allow farming systems in harmony with their geographic and cultural localities. They should also be the result of a productive discussion between researchers, policy makers, farmers and consumers.
On this background, the objective of SAFO is to improve food safety and animal health in organic livestock production systems through exchange and active communication of research results and conclusions between researchers, policy makers, farmers and the wider stakeholder community, including consumers
This will be achieved by:
· Providing a network in which consumer and policy-maker concerns about food safety and animal health and welfare in the expanding field of organic livestock production can be addressed.
· Supporting the process of development and implementation of EU-standards on organic livestock production in the diverse climate of agricultural production systems.