Network News Beef and Sheep Conference 2014 The Beef and Sheep Conference 2014 hosted by the Italian Research Centre for Animal Production (CRPA) took place in Turin, Italy from June 5-11. More than 50 participants from 31 countries joined the event. For more information click here for the press release. » BSC Press Release » BSC Press Release (German translation) Two master students in the agri benchmark Network Two students are doing their master thesis on topics related to agri benchmark activities. Friederike Rösner is writing her master thesis as part of a project with John Deere. Her topic is "International comparison of costs of production for forages (grass silage, hay and maize silage) “. Since April 2014 Linda Stolz analyses the “Status quo, developments and perspectives in the cow-calf husbandry in Germany”. agri benchmark - a basis for an international career The DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft) magazine features an article about six students and their first steps into the business world. One of the students is Simon Walther, he started his career in the agri benchmark team in Braunschweig. » Sechs Wege zum Erfolg - Karrieren in der Agrarwirtschaft » Starting a career in agri businesss (English Translation) Write your thesis at the Thünen Institute For students, we offer an opportunity to write an undergraduate, master‘s or PhD thesis. Students are welcome from all universities and colleges in Germany and from abroad. » More information on our website Recommend this newsletter » Send this email to someone you think may be interested. Subscribe »... to our newsletter here Unsubscribe »... from our newsletter here   October, 2014 Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser New Project - Colombia: Sustainable intensification with animal welfare Silvopastoral system is an agroforestry arrangement, where pasture is combined with legume shrubs and in some cases trees for timber production. The adoption of this system could provide important ecosystem services while reducing the pressure to clear more forests in countries like Colombia, where conventional livestock production often results in land degradation. agri benchmark, CIPAV (Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria)and World Animal Protection will work in a project analysing how Colombian silvopastoral farming systems could deliver multiple ‘wins’ for productivity, economics, farmers, animal welfare and environmental stewardship. First results will be presented at the FAO’s Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock annual meeting in October 2014. Publication: Is free trade a threat for the EU-beef production? In the journal “FLEISCHWIRTSCHAFT International” Claus Deblitz and Barbara Wildegger published the article “Is free trade a threat for the EU-beef production?”. agri benchmark data is used to analyse the competitiveness in case of a tariff liberalisation between EU and US. » FLEISCHWIRTSCHAFT International 3 2014, page 28 - 32 (English Version) » The full report is still available on the agri benchmark website. CIPAV - new partner in network The Centre for Research on Sustainable Farming Systems (CIPAV) is a Colombian NGO conducting participatory research studies with peasant farmers and entrepreneurial producers in Columbia on different aspects of integrated systems, like silvopastoral systems. Furthermore the mission of CIPAV is to contribute to sustainable development through teaching and publication of alternative agro-ecological production systems. agri benchmark and CIPAV will work together with World Animal Protection on a project about silvopastoral system in Columbia. agri benchmark in the media The newsletter “the Innovator” of the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation published an article about the Beef and Sheep Conference 2014 with a particular emphasis on the Australian beef and sheep production. The Canadian Cattlemen´s Association (CCA) also reports in its Action News about the Beef and Sheep Conference 2014. Furthermore there is a Canfax Research Services (CRS) fact sheet about International Cost of Production Analysis using agri benchmark data. » the Innovator, Spring 2014, pages 3-4 » CCA Action News, 23rd June 2014, pages 3-4 » CRS Fact Sheet Did you know? In this section you find short information in regular intervals on particularities of production, sector, policy or trade in agri benchmark member countries. Austrian beef farming: small but linked to markets and eco-friendly Austria’s agriculture is characterized by small sized farm units. An average cattle farmer keeps only 28 cattle. » Read more Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser Thünen Institute of Farm Economics Braunschweig, Germany www.ti.bund.de/bw Contact: barbara.wildegger@ti.bund.de www.agribenchmark.org/beef-and-sheep