Princess Royal praises livestock research
The Princess Royal stressed the importance of education and communication in combating livestock disease.
HRH the Princess Royal praised scientists at the Moredun Foundation and Research Institute for their global work to prevent and control livestock disease.
Speaking at a special event held at the institute's headquarters, the Princess paid tribute to scientists' work with others around the world to provide advice to livestock keepers and to develop new vaccines and diagnostic tests.
"Due to the changing climate, competing pressures for land use and a growing global population, the production of safe, nutritious and sustainable food supplies is really important," she said. “Moredun’s research to improve the health and welfare of livestock is as relevant today as it ever was."
The event focused on the challenges of controlling livestock disease in a changing climate and how knowledge sharing and the interaction between science and policy can help to address these.
More than 100 delegates from the veterinary, research and agriculture sectors attended the event.
The event also celebrated the launch of the International Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) Hub for Livestock Health and Welfare. It aims to help Moredun to further engage with others around the world and enable knowledge to be made as widely available as possible.
Chairman of the Moredun Foundation, Ian Duncan Millar, gave the Princess a private tour of the laboratories.
He commented: "It is always a pleasure to welcome HRH, The Princess Royal to Moredun. Her support in opening the KTE Hub is much appreciated.
"This new initiative will further the work of the Moredun Foundation in spreading the results and discoveries of the Moredun Research Institute, which will benefit the environment, minimise our collective carbon footprint and contribute towards the wellbeing of both the farmed livestock and the farmers."
Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, chief executive of Moredun, said: "Scotland may be a relatively small country in global terms, but it makes a real impact in innovative research and its translation into practice.
"The issue of global food security will be with us for many decades to come, and if we are to feed the estimated human population, we need to ensure that food-producing species are biologically efficient and have optimal health and welfare.
"Disease risks and transmission vary with changing weather and climate, and Moredun has a key role to play in dealing with disease, working alongside numerous international partners."
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
