Strengthening Europe’s Voice in Animal Breeding: The Role of EFFAB and FABRE-TP

Dr Ana Granados Chapatte, General Manager, International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and former Director of the European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders (EFFAB)

A Broad, United Platform for Animal Breeding

Europe’s animal breeding sector operates within a policy and public environment that is evolving with unusual speed. Misconceptions about breeding and livestock production remain widespread, even as the sector continues to deliver improvements in sustainability, welfare and efficiency. Within this context, the European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders (EFFAB) and the Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Technology Platform (FABRE-TP) have emerged as key structures supporting coordinated communication and innovation across Europe. EFFAB represents more than 50 breeding companies and organisations covering cattle, pigs, poultry and aquaculture, while FABRE-TP links these private sector partners with research institutions and academia, ensuring scientific insight and practical breeding expertise remain connected.

Together, these groups provide a comprehensive platform capable of addressing the policy-based issues related to operational and scientific aspects, of modern livestock and aquaculture breeding. Their combined governance reflects the sector’s diversity, with representation across the main species and production systems. This structure enables a coherent, sector-wide response to emerging challenges and ensures balanced perspectives feed into European policy-level discussions.

Navigating a Complex European Policy Landscape

The policy landscape in which EFFAB and FABRE-TP operate has undergone marked shifts. The 2019-2024 legislative period was characterised by the European Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork strategy, both of which intensified scrutiny on livestock systems and amplified debates around emissions, welfare and food security to be based on lower animal products consumption. While the current term offers a stronger emphasis on competitiveness and resilient food systems, the volume of legislative activity remains high, and the pressure on the sector continues. Effective engagement with policymakers – at EU, national and regional levels – has therefore become essential to place animal breeding at the places it deserves on improving animal farming and in achieving science-based, practical policy outcomes.

Understanding the European regulatory process is central to this work. EFFAB and its members contribute not only at the EU Commission and EU Parliament level, but also through coordinated national-level engagement. A shared voice across these layers supports more consistent messaging and ensures breeders’ perspectives are understood within a complex decision-making environment.

Improving Understanding Through Balanced Breeding

A core priority for the sector is the need to communicate clearly what modern animal breeding entails. Policymakers and the wider public often maintain outdated or romanticised views of livestock production, making it difficult to convey the breadth of traits included in current breeding goals. EFFAB’s communication strategy centres on the concept of balanced breeding, a simple but powerful way to present the integration of productivity, health, welfare and environmental traits within breeding programmes.

Practical examples help illustrate this evolution. Nordic dairy programmes have achieved reductions in mastitis, leading to lower antibiotic use and greater volumes of milk suitable for processing. In aquaculture, breeding progress in disease resistance continues to reduce losses and improve system robustness. The role of genetics in methane reduction – one component of a wider mitigation toolkit – is another area increasingly recognised by policymakers. Clear, accessible communication materials help situate these examples within broader sustainability debates.

Sector-Wide Collaboration and Stronger Collective Messaging

Recognising the value of unified messaging, EFFAB has contributed significantly to wider collaborative platforms. The European Livestock Voice, an alliance of 14 EU organisations across the livestock chain, works to counter misinformation and present balanced, evidence-based perspectives on animal agriculture at the EU level. This collaborative strength has supported the establishment of the European Parliament Intergroup on Sustainable Livestock, creating a dedicated space for informed dialogue with Members of the European Parliament. Such coordinated initiatives amplify the visibility and credibility of messages relating to genetics and breeding. By empowering a broader set of stakeholders to act as ambassadors, the sector increases its capacity to influence perceptions and policy discussions.

A Coordinated Approach to Securing Livestock’s Future

Across EFFAB and FABRE-TP’s activities, a consistent message emerges: effective communication and collaborative advocacy are essential to ensuring genetics is understood as a vital contributor to sustainable livestock systems. Clear, aligned messaging – delivered not only by breeders but also by researchers, producers and allied industries – remains central to strengthening public confidence and shaping supportive policy environments. Modern breeding continues to deliver substantial gains in welfare, health and environmental performance, and stands as a cornerstone of Europe’s future livestock strategy.