Develop sustainable solutions for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in livestock farming through genetic improvement
- Project start: 01/01/2027
- End of project: 12/31/2030
- Principal researcher: Itsasne Granado Tajada
- Financing: European commission
- Programme: Horizon Europe Programme
- Call: HORIZON-CL6-2025-02
- Reference: 101286977
- Acronym: DREAM
- NEIKER budget: 99,863.94
- Partners: INRAE, AbacusBio, IDELE, AgResearch (AgR), Aarhus University (AU), ANAFIBJ, University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), CITA, CRV, EFFAB, Eliance, FIBL, Hendrix, ICAR, ÖTZ, Polish Federation of Cattle Breeders and Dairy Producers – CGEN, SRUC, SYSAAF, Teagasc, UEDIN, University of Guelph (UOGUELPH), Viking Genetics, Wageningen Research, Zuchtdata
Overall objective:
To develop sustainable solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation in livestock farming through genetic improvement.
Specific objectives:
- Data collection and definition of sustainability traits (WP1-WP3): Collect experimental and large-scale data across multiple species to identify, define, and prioritize genetic traits relevant to climate change mitigation and adaptation, while also considering their interrelationships and trade-offs.
- Innovation in genetic models and evaluations (WP4-WP5): Develop and evaluate genetic models and international evaluations to improve the accuracy of genetic predictions and explore their applicability across different species and complex traits.
- Environmental descriptors and GxE tools (WP6-WP7): Identify representative environmental descriptors and develop practical tools to integrate genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE) into genetic selection programs.
- System-level scaling (WP8): Model the impact of selection and feeding strategies at the herd and national levels, evaluating economic and environmental trade-offs under various scenarios.
- Livestock farmers’ perceptions (WP9): Assess farmers’ interest, the barriers they face, and their flexibility regarding the inclusion of new mitigation and adaptation traits in their selection schemes, using surveys and simulations.
- Stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer (WP10-WP12): Engage key value chain actors and policymakers to validate project results, identify adoption constraints, and… co-create solutions adapted to the needs of the sector.
