QualityLowInputFood WP 4.5: Entwicklung betriebs- und regionalspezifischer Strategien zur Eutergesundheit im Biolandbau (EU-Project Quality Low Input Food)

Organic regulations claim that animal health should be assured by a cascade of measures, namely breeding (long-term), management & prevention (medium-term), and complementary medicine (short-term), before conventional medicine can be applied, exceptionally. However, effective alternative methods for mastitis control in dairy cows are not used generally, and herd health management to improve udder health is not implemented in most of organic dairy farms. The lack of a wide spread network of skilled veterinarians is an additional factor, which strengthens the situation dramatically. Only if a suitable animal health assurance system in organic farms is implemented in general, the udder health of organic cows and in consequence the quality of organic milk leads to a well accepted status in contrary to the situation.

Project aims:

• To analyse the main factors influencing udder health in organic dairy farms
• To evaluate the efficacy of complementary mastitis treatments
• To establish an intervention framework for farmers, vets and advisors in organic dairy farms

Methodology:

• epidemiological factor analysis
• clinical trials (placebo controlled random trials)

Europäische Union, 6. Forschungsrahmenprogramm

• Granarolo, Bologna, Italy
• Louis Bolk Institute, Driebergen, The Netherlands

• Klocke Peter (Departement für Nutztierwissenschaften)

Work package leader

orgprints.org/6269/

• Salute degli animali (Dipartimento di scienze animali, FiBL Schweiz)