The COST action BETTER (CA20103) will launch (May 2023) a series of webinars focusing on various topics related to farm biosecurity.
Background
The COST Action BETTER is supported by the growing interest for biosecurity but also based on the increased number of research projects on these aspects. Although there is a growing number of groups working on different aspects related to biosecurity, their level of collaboration and networking is relatively low and, therefore, a better communication and coordination mechanism is needed between the different groups in order to give a common voice to those in the field (i.e., farmers, veterinarians, traders, decision makers, and the general population). In relation to this, the provision of a fixed series of online presentations (webinars) is expected to be of great value to all interested stakeholders. The aspiration is to include a multitude of topics ranging from the fundamentals of biosecurity, research projects in the areas of biosecurity, challenges, and opportunities towards biosecurity-based farm management to presenting the state-of-the-art of farm biosecurity in Europe and worldwide.
When
The BETTER-biosecurity webinar will be held monthly, the second week of the month, on Wednesdays (from 14:00 – 15:00 (CET)) online using the MS Teams platform. No registration will be required from participants as all webinars are free for everyone to attend.
Call for expression of interest
Are you excited to present your biosecurity research findings? Would you like to present topics with a definite link to biosecurity? Would you like to share your view on the biosecurity of your sector? That’s great! Just fill in the form provided here.
If you do not wish to present but you have specific ideas on topics for future webinars, or if you would like to propose biosecurity experts to be contacted, we got you covered! Please send your ideas/recommendations to us (fill in the form provided here).
This first call will be open for all BETTER participants until the end of March. This will help us set up a balanced agenda for 2023. We are happy to work on this webinar series and we need your participation to make it successful and relevant to all stakeholders interested in biosecurity.
The organizing team
Ilias Chantziaras, Ghent University (Belgium)
Naim Deniz Ayaz, Kirikkale University (Türkiye)
Marco De Nardi, SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).
