3 minute read
Successful innovations
from PoultryNL
Laura Star Sander Lourens
Advertisement
Farmers benefi t
The Dutch poultry sector is world-leading when it comes to innovation. Schools, their students, and their connections to industry partners and market actors play a vital part in this.
The Dutch poultry sector is always leading when it comes to innovation. The entire world is keeping track of what we’re doing here, I dare say. We were the fi rst to diminish the usage of antibiotics, the fi rst to use aviary systems in poultry housing on a large scale. We invented farm hatching and early feeding. That transition is just now happening on a global scale’, says Laura Star about the state of innovation in the Dutch poultry sector. Star is involved in poultry innovation on a daily basis. She’s a part-time researcher at Schothorst Feed Research, and parttime Professor of Precision Feeding and Sustainable Poultry Farming at Aeres University of Applied Sciences. Her main research interests are poultry feed, health, welfare and behaviour. Her current research focuses on alternative protein sources for chicken feed, such as insect larvae. ‘We have high quality research institutions and universities of applied sciences. And countless smaller and larger companies developing new innovations. The entire
production chain is situated here, from feed factories to producers of egg packaging and housing systems. Hence, a lot of knowledge is present and concentrated in the Netherlands.’ The Dutch climate of innovation that Laura Star describes, and the research that’s at its core, are far from unnecessary luxuries. Her colleague Sander Lourens, researcher and lecturer in poultry farming at Aeres, adds: ‘Food security is threatened, both internationally and in the Netherlands. This shows us that we cannot rely on other countries, but must innovate ourselves and show to consumers how we’re dealing with challenges here.’
Start with the fundamentals
‘For successful innovation, it is important to thoroughly understand the functioning of the entire production chain’, Lourens says. Transparency and open information exchange between stakeholders, from breeding to consumer, are key. ‘And you have to start with the fundamentals. That’s why we’re always addressing hygiene, chick quality and optimum brooding as a basis. If you get that right, the entire chain will benefit, with healthier chickens that outperform others.’ Besides this, labels for products in supermarkets are becoming increasingly important. ‘Poultry production chains used to be a black box, but are now becoming more transparent. Consumers are more and more aware of where their eggs and meat come from. This has implications for the entire chain.’
Applied research
Additionally, for successful innovation it is important to connect market actors and new research. Wageningen University and Research is world-renowned and leading in research about the future of agriculture, but its findings don’t always find their way to poultry farmers. The applied sciences approach of Aeres can help in this regard. Lourens: ‘Of course, pure scientific research is extremely valuable. But the average farmer benefits more from applied research than from a scientific paper. We provide that, by bringing innovations into practice, together with our students.’
Connecting students to businesses
Part of the practical approach is connecting students to poultry-related businesses. Aeres and its DPC partner Poultry Expertise Centre (PEC) play a major part in this. When asked about the ‘why’ behind the cooperation between Aeres and PEC, Star says: ‘We strengthen each other in research, innovation and knowledge transfer. The added value lies in enhancing each other’s networks and in trying to collaborate on different topics and in different projects.’ Lourens: ‘DPC is vital in connecting students and the poultry sector. Companies are eager to attract young employees, who are scarce. Our students have jobs even before they graduate. So it’s better to attract students early, during their studies, with research projects and internships. Aeres, DPC and PEC help with building such connections.’
