Sustainable Parasite Control in Grazing Ruminants
About project
Project title:
Sustainable Parasite Control in Grazing Ruminants
Acronym:
SPARC
Financier:
Horizon Europe - EU Research and Innovation Programme, Grant agreement ID: 101134842
Budget:
(EU contribution) € 2 538 181,88; IMSI budget € 0 (associated organization)
Project duration:
01.02.2024. - January 31, 2027 (IMSI joined in May 2025)
Project coordinator:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (EV-ILVO), Merelbeke, Belgium
Project partners:
Consortium members: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (EV-ILVO), Belgium; Kreavet, Belgium; Ghent University (UGENT), Belgium; Interregional Centre for Information and Research in Sheep Production (CIIPRO), France; Institut de l’Elevage (IDELE), France; Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BI), Germany; Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO – DIMITRA), Greece; Bioresearch Laboratories (BL), Greece; Animal Health Ireland (AHI), Republic of Ireland; Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production (DMVPA), University of Naples Federico II (UNINA), Italy; Zuidelijke Land- En Tuinbouworganisatie Vereniging (ZLTO), Netherlands; Toinen pro art fundacja (TO-PL), Poland; Moredun Research Institute (MRI), Scotland (United Kingdom); Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Leon, Spain
Associated organizations: Arsia, Belgium; Ovine Research Centre (CRO), Belgium; Nat Agri Wal, Belgium; Ceva, France; Camsens, Germany; Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Assomaton Research Center, Greece; Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus; Daskofeed, Greece; Mediterranean Agrofood Competence Center (MACC), Greece; Sypa, Greece; Associazione Italiana Allevatori, Italy; Associazione Regionale Allevatori Basilicata, Italy; Associazione Regionale Allevatori Campania e Molise, Italy; Beef + Lamb, New Zealand; Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad (NIV-NS), Serbia; University of Belgrade – Institute for Multidisciplinary Research (IMSI), Serbia; Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Afyon Kocatepe Üniversite, Turkey.
Project leader for IMSI:
Dr. Filip Štrbac,
Research Associate
Project website:
Location:
N/A
Keywords:
Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Research Associate
Telephone:
E-Mail:
Website:
Linkage to the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Project description
Ruminant animals including cattle, sheep, goats and buffalo are the largest livestock production system in the world according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. They produce more than half of all protein produced by the livestock sector. Ruminants are exposed to helminths, worm-like parasites, which can cause severe disease, significantly decreasing productivity with important economic consequences for farmers. Like bacteria and antibiotics, excessive use of anthelmintics has led to resistance. The EU-funded SPARC project intends to identify good practices for sustainable worm control in different production systems and regions and demonstrate them on pilot farms. Wide dissemination in many languages of knowledge gained will spur a lasting collaboration within the field of sustainable helminth resistance.
Project goal:
Ruminant farming is critically important in maintaining the viability of rural communities and ensuring food security. Because grazing ruminants are permanently exposed to helminth parasites, efficient worm control is a requirement to guarantee their health, welfare and productivity. Worm control is largely based on preventive use of anthelmintic drugs, but excessive use of anthelmintics has led to anthelmintic resistance, which has become a global threat for effective parasite control. To mitigate anthelmintic resistance in ruminants, sustainable worm control (SWC) strategies should be adopted.
The SPARC Community of Practice of farmers, farm advisors and veterinarians will identify needs, practices, barriers and drivers for adoption of SWC practices, develop a list of good practices for SWC in different production systems and regions and demonstrate them on pilot farms. National and international stakeholder networks will share SWC practices among farmers, across borders and production systems (beef and dairy cattle, meet and milk sheep and goats). Dissemination of experiences and results will be facilitated by a Knowledge Exchange Platform on the SPARC website, hosting testimonies, case studies, videos, practice abstracts and decision support tools, available in local languages. SPARC activities and results will be communicated on social media and in professional journals. Overall, SPARC will initiate a lasting European-wide multi-actor community that develops solutions together to curb anthelmintic resistance, aiding in the green transition of European agriculture.
Project team
- Project leader (PI): Coordinator from the leading institution: Leen Lietaer, Scientific Researcher (Leen.Lietaer@ilvo.vlaanderen.be)
- Team:
- Responsible person from each of the consortium members:
- Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Research (EV-ILVO), Belgium – Leen Lietaer
- Kreavet, Belgium – Johannes Charlier
- Ghent University (UGENT), Belgium – Edwin Claerebout
- Interregional Centre for Information and Research in Sheep Production (CIIPRO), France – Mickaël Bernard
- Institut de l’Elevage (IDELE), France – Carole Toczé
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BI), Germany – Gustavo Sabatini
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO – DIMITRA), Greece – Smaragda Sotiraki
- Bioresearch Laboratories (BL), Greece – Alexandros Stefanakis
- Animal Healtх Ireland (AHI), Republic of Ireland – Natascha Meunier
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production (DMVPA), University of Naples Federico II (UNINA), Italy – Laura Rinaldi
- Zuidelijke Land- En Tuinbouworganisatie Vereniging (ZLTO), Netherlands – Annick Spaans
- Toinen pro art fundacja (TO-PL), Poland – Jaroslaw Kaba
- Moredun Research Institute (MRI), Scotland (United Kingdom) – Dave Bartley
- Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) – Eric Morgan
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Leon, Spain – María Martínez Valladares
- Responsible person from each of the consortium members:
From the IMSI (associated organization), the responsible person is Dr. Filip Štrbac, Research Associate. More information about the members of the project and the teams can be found on the website: https://wormsparc.com/