RObust Animals in sustainable Mixed FREE-range systems

Summary

The ROAM-FREE project aims:
 to investigate how mixed free-range production systems can improve animal robustness, environmental and economic sustainability and biodiversity in organic pig farming,
 to support a wider adoption of organic farming across Europe; by involving partners from Norway, Denmark, Romania, Italy and Slovenia, the diversity in climate, diseases present as well as local traditions and different economic framework will be covered;
 to evaluate involved farms in terms of animal health, welfare, productivity, feed-sufficiency, biodiversity, economy, and environmental impact;
 to develop preventive strategies, including use of bioactive crops or trees, in order to provide health benefit to the animals, reducing parasitic load and enhancing immunity
 to develop and discuss innovative mixed farming concepts with pig producers at meetings and trainings session, facilitating a wider adoption of mixed farming strategies in organic pig production.
We expect that ROAM-FREE will expose benefits and challenges in a variety of mixed systems and form the basis for knowledge-based practical guidelines to improve existing mixed systems.