ECO-FCE
A whole systems approach to optimising feed efficiency and reducing the ecological footprint of monogastrics
Project Summary
The ECO-FCE project commenced in February 2013 and is co-financed by the European Commission. Through a better understanding of the interactions between animal genetics, gut structure and function, the microbial population of the gut and the attributes of feed, ECO-FCE will propose strategies to improve feed use efficiency whilst also reducing the ecological footprint of pig and poultry production.
The project is co-coordinated by Queen‘s University Belfast and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough. It brings together an international consortium of 17 partners from across Europe over a 4 year period to conduct research which will focus on one common objective: To provide the European pig and poultry industries with innovative strategies and tools to feed a rapidly growing global population in an efficient and ecologically-friendly manner. The Teagasc, Pig Production Department will play a central role in the project, leading one of its seven work packages while actively participating in all others.
Expected benefits
- Improved understanding of underlying factors creating variation in the monogastric digestive system,
- Adoption of new systems to feed pigs and poultry which optimise FCE and reduce N and P excretion and GHG emission
- Identification of innovative feed additives to improve nutrient utilisation and gut health and functionality, and to reduce greenhouse gas emission as well as N and P excretion
- Identification of novel models to advance pig and broiler chicken breeding programs for improved feed use efficiency
- Application of these new systems, tools and models will lead to more eficient feed utilisation, reduced greenhouse gas emission, and reduced N and P excretion.
- Reduced feed costs for the pig and poultry sector thereby increasing profitability
Teagasc Personnel:
- Dr. Peadar Lawlor
- Dr. Tania Curiao
- Dr. Laura Boyle
- Dr. Anne Maria Mullen
- Dr. Ruth Hamill
- Ursula McCormack (Postgraduate student)
Funding body:
- European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7 2007/2013) under grant agreement No. 311794
For More details contact:
- Dr. Peadar Lawlor at peadar.lawlor@teagasc.ie or +353 (0) 25 42217