Recently, Animal Health Ireland (AHI) was honoured for its technical excellence and innovation by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
AHI was recognised in the category of ‘Sustainable Livestock Transformation, One Health, Animal Health, and Reference Centres’ at a recent FAO ceremony, held in Rome. The prestigious event was recently part of the FAO’s 80th anniversary celebrations and the World Food Forum.
The award aims to highlight organisations from around the world whose work contributes to global food security, sustainable development, and agrifood systems transformation, in line with FAO’s “Four Betters” vision – better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.
The FAO Global Technical Recognition initiative celebrates outstanding technical achievements across six key domains, which include sustainable livestock transformation, water and soil resource management, sustainable aquatic and plant production, and forest protection.
AHI’s recognition was a result of a detailed submission made earlier this year, which showcased AHI’s best practices and innovations across its national animal health programmes.
Commenting on the recognition, programme manager at AHI, Dr Carla Gomes said: “This international recognition from the FAO highlights the value of Ireland’s collaborative approach to livestock health.
“The work of our programme teams, and the engagement of farmers, vets and industry partners, continues to demonstrate how sustainable animal health management can support both productivity and environmental outcomes. AHI is proud to play a key part in ensuring our livestock sector is healthy to support our world-famous agri-food sector.”
AHI’s inclusion among this select group of global leaders hopes to underscore Ireland’s pioneering role in sustainable livestock health and demonstrates the real-world impact of collaborative, science-driven approaches to AHI’s animal health programmes.