FAO–MENDELU workshop brings regional experts together to strengthen farm biosecurity

Enhancing farm biosecurity to safeguard ruminant livestock production across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe was the focus of a specialized workshop attended by regional policymakers, researchers, and international experts.

Organized by Mendel University (MENDELU) in Brno, Czechia in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the multi-day event provided a vital platform for knowledge exchange and discussion on biosecurity.

Ruminant livestock sectors (cattle, sheep, and goats) in many parts of Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans face emerging challenges from both transboundary animal diseases and endemic threats. On-farm biosecurity is essential not only for protecting animal health and farmers' livelihoods, but also for consumer safety, as it aims to safeguard food chains, mitigate zoonotic risks, and maintain regional trade resilience.

“Good farm biosecurity practices are paramount in preventing disease introduction into farms,” said Mark Hovari, FAO Animal Health Preparedness Expert. “Translating policy and academic insights into daily habits still remains a challenge,” he added.

Key practices that help prevent disease introduction into farms include:

• Preventing contact and controlling movement – establishing strict farm boundaries, managing vehicle and visitor access, and isolating new or returning animals to minimize pathogen introduction.
• Ensuring feed and water safety – securing feed stores against pests and wildlife, ensuring watering facilities are regularly inspected and disinfected, and strictly adhering to the prohibition on feeding ruminant protein to ruminants.
• Maintaining good hygiene and husbandry – keeping facilities clean, properly managing manure and effluent to prevent water contamination, and safely handling animal by-products.
• Immunization – maintaining up-to-date vaccination schedules against transboundary and local diseases.

In line with the FAO approach of bridging policy with practice, the agenda combined high-level plenary discussions with interactive technical sessions and field visits. Participants had the opportunity to examine advanced veterinary practices, livestock management systems, and laboratory diagnostics firsthand through structured study tours hosted in the Czech Republic.

Workshop discussions focused on mapping regional threats, sharing information on how biosecurity knowledge is embedded and disseminated among relevant groups, farm recovery after an outbreak, and strategies for regional collaboration.

The event underscored the long-standing and fruitful partnership between FAO and the Mendel University.

“The relationship with FAO is very important for our university to strengthen its links and continuous contribution in the ruminant industries in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Daniel Falta, Vice-Dean for External Affairs and Internationalization at the university’s Faculty of AgriSciences. This partnership also helps leverage Czech scientific expertise and educational capacities to support rural development and agricultural transformation in transition countries.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to translating the insights gained into actionable national strategies, paving the way for a more resilient, biosecure, and sustainable livestock sector across the region.