Dr. Bennie Osburn welcomes delegation led by Lv Huang, Head of Professional Veterinary Service Boehringer Ingelheim-China to campus. Standing beside Dr. Osburn are YAN Zhichun, chief scientist of New Hope Group, Professor ZHANG GuiHong, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huanan Agricultural University. Mr. ZHANG Xiangbin, Vice President of Wens Group, and Mr. Wei Chang, Vice President, Shanxi Shiyang Agricultural Group.
The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security hosted a delegation of academics, scientists, and Chinese swine producers sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. There were representatives from some of the largest hog operations in China at a meeting held on the UC Davis campus on Sunday, September 24.
The delegation was also supported by College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University. WIFSS was honored to share with the distinguished group of pork producers how a One Health approach could be of value to address some of the complex problems facing the swine industry in China. China is the largest producer of swine in the world accounting for more than half of the global pig population.
Dr. Bennie Osburn gave an overview of the One Health concept and some of the approaches which could be of value to meet the goals of sustainable food production for an ever-increasing global population, in addition, issues relating to environmental concerns. Dr. Osburn was followed by Dr. Kristina Horback from the Department of Animal Science, who heads the Animal Behavior and Cognition Lab. Horback addressed welfare and behavioral aspects of improving the health of these animals on pig farms. The lab’s research focuses on identifying personality traits in non-human animals to evaluate the relationship between such traits and individual welfare.
Dr. Yanhong Liu, from the Department of Animal Science shared highlights of her lab’s research on nutritional practices to reduce the use of antibiotics and therefore resistance factors to assure safer food products for consumers. A lively discussion between Liu and the guests took place about the nutritional studies in Liu’s lab which have been instrumental in reducing diarrhea and piglet mortalities.
The group also traveled to Iowa and Minnesota prior to their visit to UC Davis.
The delegation was also supported by College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University. WIFSS was honored to share with the distinguished group of pork producers how a One Health approach could be of value to address some of the complex problems facing the swine industry in China. China is the largest producer of swine in the world accounting for more than half of the global pig population.
Dr. Bennie Osburn gave an overview of the One Health concept and some of the approaches which could be of value to meet the goals of sustainable food production for an ever-increasing global population, in addition, issues relating to environmental concerns. Dr. Osburn was followed by Dr. Kristina Horback from the Department of Animal Science, who heads the Animal Behavior and Cognition Lab. Horback addressed welfare and behavioral aspects of improving the health of these animals on pig farms. The lab’s research focuses on identifying personality traits in non-human animals to evaluate the relationship between such traits and individual welfare.
Dr. Yanhong Liu, from the Department of Animal Science shared highlights of her lab’s research on nutritional practices to reduce the use of antibiotics and therefore resistance factors to assure safer food products for consumers. A lively discussion between Liu and the guests took place about the nutritional studies in Liu’s lab which have been instrumental in reducing diarrhea and piglet mortalities.
The group also traveled to Iowa and Minnesota prior to their visit to UC Davis.