AIA, Italy - Inno4Grass

Dr. Riccardo Negrini Technical Director Via Guiseppe Tomasetti 9 00161 Rome Italy Phone: +90685451214 Phone (2): / E-Mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Webpage: www.aia.it

The Italian Breeders Association (AIA) was founded in Rome on August 20, 1944 to restore the national livestock sector after World War II. It has been recognized as an entity of public-interest by Presidential Decree n. 1051 on October 27, 1950. Through the years, AIA has rapidly grown its initial structure and has branched nationwide across the Italian territory, supporting each livestock sector and developing a wide range of supportive services to farmers, which have contributed to enhance the Italian animal husbandry among the most advanced world-wide. Its umbrella structure that includes 27 National Associations of species and breeds, 19 Regional associations and 47 Provincial Associations allow AIA to implement all the initiatives to support the livestock sector in Italy and foster the animal products. The Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry subjects AIA to supervision for to carrying out controls of animal productivity for all breeds. AIA therefore carries out the following tasks resulted by laws and by its Statute:

· Animal performance recording;
· Herd Books and Anagraphic Registers keeping;
· Technical advice to livestock farms;
· On farm data management system;
· National milk and genetic testing laboratories coordination;
· Any actions aimed at ensuring animal welfare and food safety;
· Promotion of dairy and meat products.

AIA is nowadays a key player of the livestock sector in Italy. AIA develops goods and quality services in the fields of technology transfer, animal genetics, extension services, structures and dedicated systems. AIA cooperates and participates in relevant National and International livestock research projects in partnership with major Italian universities, the National Research Council (CNR), Institutes and experimental research Consortia. In 1987 AIA has furthermore established, jointly with the Catholic University of Piacenza, the Observatory on the Market for Dairy Products based in Cremona. AIA is also engaged in developing international collaboration aimed at strengthening the European and international collaboration in the livestock sector, ensuring the application of proven European and international best practices, to guide rural actors in the adoption of animal welfare rules, quality and traceability of productions. AIA implements international innovative and eco sustainable initiatives in different sectors of animal husbandry while respecting biodiversity, environmental sustainability and the diversity of the territories.