Project
PPILOW
Poultry and PIg Low-input and Organic production systems’ Welfare
Organic and outdoor low-input pig and poultry farming systems have spread considerably in the EU during the last decade due to ethical and socio-economic considerations. Nevertheless, there are still several challenging questions unsolved concerning such systems, especially in relation to animal health and mortality problems.
Consumers and practitioners of these production systems particularly disapprove of damage to animal integrity (i.e. beak trimming, piglet castration) and of the killing of one-day old male layer chicks. These practices question the ethics and the sustainability of these types of productions. Besides, European citizens expect guarantees about improved animal welfare, safety and quality of poultry and pork meats as well as eggs in these systems. There is therefore a need to improve pig and poultry welfare and adaptive capacities in organic and low-input outdoor systems.
Background and Objective
PPILOW aims to co-create innovations to improve the welfare for poultry and pigs reared in organic and low-input outdoor farming systems. The project is based on a multi-actor participatory approach and works with 23 partners in 9 EU-countries.
The first original characteristic of the PPILOW project is the participatory approach, involving all actors of the production chain from farmers to consumers for proposing, studying and implementing practical solutions for welfare improvement. The second original characteristic of the project is to provide a combination of practical solutions for welfare improvement that can be applied on a pan European basis with specific adjustments depending on the target market (national legislation and consumer preferences).
The third original characteristic of the PPILOW project is the multi-criteria assessment of welfare improving practices in order to have an exhaustive view of the global impacts of these practices beyond gains for animal and human welfare.
Target Group
Producers/farmers, upstream and downstream trades, hatcheries, breeding companies, consumers, politicians, scientists.
Approach
Innovative animal welfare strategies for extensive and ecological production systems for poultry and pigs are developed and tested together with actors from agriculture and society and their economic viability is reviewed. In the first step an inventory of animal welfare strategies in 9 different participating European countries will be done. National practitioner groups (NPGs) will be build in each studied country for the integration of practitioner´s view on different levels. After the common agreement on different input and output parameters, economic and business models will be developed to outline the effects on the value chain. The PPILOW project pursues a multi-actor approach involving several actors in the production chain and important European interest groups. Further tasks are the investigation of existing animal welfare measures in Germany.
Data and Methods
Simulations and modelling will be carried out for this purpose. In addition, a business model will be developed describing the impact on the value chain.
Multi-criteria analysis will be used to assess the sustainability of different strategies to improve well-being in line with the One Welfare Concept, according to the vision of the farmers, consumers and scientists involved in the study.
For the most promising solutions identified with the multi-criteria decision analysis, business and economic models will be developed to determine the economics and feasibility of the proposed strategies and their impact on the entire production chain of each production species (broilers, eggs, pigs).
Our Research Questions
Which innovative measures are sensible and economically viable in ecological and extensive livestock farming for poultry and pigs in order to improve animal welfare and ensure sustainable and profitable production?
Links and Downloads
Thünen-Contact
Involved Thünen-Partners
Duration
9.2019 - 8.2024
More Information
Funding program: EU – Horizon 2020 – Societal Challenge "Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials"
Project status:
finished
Publications to the project
- 0
Niemi J, Väre M, Thobe P, Collin A (2024) A workshop on business models in organic and low-input outdoor pig and poultry production : Brussels, 7th March 2024. 25 p
- 1
Lombard S, Desaint B, Roinsard A, Pluschke H, Baldinger L, Werner D, Thobe P, Reverchon M, Steenfeldt S, Ravon L, Réhault-Godbert S, Collin A, Grenier K (2024) Alternatives to the elimination of layer male chicks [online]. In: PPILOW Final Conference 2024 : 11.-12.06.2024, Tervuren, Belgium., zu finden in <https://ppilow.eu/final-conference-2024/> [zitiert am 01.11.2024]
- 2
Thobe P, Pluschke H, Werner D (2024) Benötigte Schlüssel-Akteure (Geflügel-Wertschöpfungskette) : [presented at] the 8th meeting of the German PPILOW National Practitioner Group, 29.01.2024 in Biohof Ahlers, Besenthal, Germany.
- 3
Niemi J, Väre M, Heinola K, Thobe P (2024) Consumer and practitioner views and lessons from the workshop on PPILOW business models [online]. In: PPILOW Final Conference 2024 : 11.-12.06.2024, Tervuren, Belgium., zu finden in <https://ppilow.eu/final-conference-2024/> [zitiert am 01.11.2024]
- 4
Thobe P, Chibanda C, Pluschke H (2024) Das Zweinutzungshuhn in der Praxis: Wirtschaftliche Effizienz von Bruderhähnen eines neuen Genotyps in Deutschland. In: Bruder V, Röder-Dreher U, Breuer L, Herzig C, Gattinger A (eds) Landwirtschaft und Ernährung - Transformation macht nur gemeinsam Sinn : 17. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau, 5.-8. März 2024, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen ; Tagungsband. 1. Auflage. Frankfurt am Main: FiBL Deutschland eV, pp 255-256, DOI:10.5281/zenodo.11204339
- 5
Thobe P (2024) Economic aspects of outdoor ranging behavior of valuable genotypes of slow-growing broilers. 2 p Practice Abstract 24
- 6
Thobe P, Chibanda C, Baldinger L, Pluschke H (2024) Economic efficiency of males of dual-purpose genotypes in organic poultry production in Germany. In: Barroeta AC, Garcés Narro C, Sayegh G (eds) XVI European Poultry Conference of the WPSA : Valencia - Spain, June 24 - 28, 2024 ; Book of abstracts. WPSA, p 531
- 7
Thobe P, Chibanda C, Pluschke H (2024) Evaluation économique des performances de trois souches à double fin comme alternative à l’élimination des poussins mâles. In: Journée technique poules pondeuses : Pratiques innovantes pour les éleveurs ; 11 avril 2024.
- 8
Pluschke H, Thobe P, Lombard S, Reverchon M, Steenfeldt S, Germain K, Werner D, Collin A (2024) How dual-purpose is dual-purpose? The balancing act between fattening and laying performance: An index to describe dual-purpose poultry. In: 75th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science : Florence, Italy, 1 - 5 September, 2024 ; Book of abstracts. EAAP, p 183
- 9
Niemi J, Bonnefous C, Leterrier C, Thobe P, Collin A, et al (2024) Issues and levers for welfare improvements in low input outdoor and organic pig and poultry production. In: PPILOW - Eurogroup for Animals meeting : 22. February 2024.
- 10
Bonnefous C, Castellini C, Mattioli S, Mignon-Grasteau S, Collet J, Guilloteau LA, Méda B, De Rauglaudre T, Pluschke H, Thobe P, Werner D, Calandreau L, Guesdon V, Steenfeldt S, Germain K, Ravon L, Berri C, Lombard S, Reverchon M, Le Bihan-Duval E, Collin A (2024) Multiperformance of slow-growing and dual-purpose strains in organic chicken production: learning from the PPILOW project. In: 75th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science : Florence, Italy, 1 - 5 September, 2024 ; Book of abstracts. EAAP, p 471
- 11
Pluschke H, Thobe P, Werner D (2024) Neue Genetiken im Test. DGS Mag 76(11):18-24
- 12
Niemi J, Väre M, Thobe P, Collin A (2024) PPILOW stakeholder workshop examined business opportunities. PPILOW Newsletter (9):6-7
- 13
Thobe P, Niemi J, Väre M, Collin A (2024) Slow and local or fast and global - examining business opportunities to advance good welfare practices in organic and outdoor farming. In: 75th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science : Florence, Italy, 1 - 5 September, 2024 ; Book of abstracts. EAAP
- 14
Pluschke H, Thobe P (2024) Zweinutzungshühner - Ergebnisse des Stationsversuches, des Praxiseinsatzes sowie die ökonomische Bewertung bestimmter Zweinutzungshühner im EU-Projekt PPILOW : [präsentiert auf] 28. Bioland-Geflügeltagung, 27.-29.02.2024, Bonn.
- 15
Niemi J, Thobe P (2023) Business models and assessment tools : [presented at] the PPILOW 4th Annual Meeting, 23.-24.10.2023, Perugia, Italy.
- 16
Thobe P, Niemi J (2023) Economic evaluation of innovations and rearing strategies. In: PPILOW Autumn School 2023 : 25th to 27th October in Assisi, Italy.
- 17
Thobe P, Almadani I, Chibanda C, Pluschke H, Baldinger L (2023) Economic viability of dual-purpose chickens in organic farming (on-farm) in Germany : [presented at] the PPILOW 4th Annual Meeting, 23.-24.10.2023, Perugia, Italy.
- 18
Thobe P, Almadani I, Chibanda C, Pluschke H, Baldinger L (2023) Economic viability of dual-purpose chickens in organic farming (on-station) in Germany : [presented at] the PPILOW 4th Annual Meeting, 23.-24.10.2023, Perugia, Italy.
- 19
Lombard S, Thobe P, Pluschke H, Reverchon M, Baldinger L, Roinsard A, Desaint B, Collin A (2023) Evaluation of performance and economy of dual-purpose genotypes as an alternative to the elimination of one-day-old male layer chicks. In: PPILOW Autumn School 2023 : 25th to 27th October in Assisi, Italy.
- 20
Thobe P, Van Horne P (2023) How can poultry farming systems evolve to meet the major societal and environmental challenges? Book of Abstracts Ann Meet EAAP 29: 596, DOI:10.3920/978-90-8686-936-7
- 21
Niemi JK, Väre M, Collin A, Almadani I, Quentin M, Baldinger L, Steenfeldt S, Rodenburg TB, Tuyttens FAM, Thobe P (2023) Poultry production: using dual-purpose genotypes to reduce the culling of day-old male chicks? Book of Abstracts Ann Meet EAAP 29: 733, DOI:10.3920/978-90-8686-936-7
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