The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) hosted the national congress on breeding and husbandry of cattle and pigs in cooperation with the German Society for Animal Production e.V. (DGfZ), the German Livestock Association e.V. (BRS) and the German Veterinary Medical Society (DVG) on October 6 and 7, 2021, at the Steigenberger Hotel in Berlin. Representatives from science, business, administration and practice met last week to discuss current issues and the future of animal breeding in Germany.

The congress was divided into six thematic blocks, in which specialists reported from their fields. The congress started with the first block on the topic "Quo vadis animal breeding?", in which the current situation of animal breeding, especially with regard to societal demands and the future, was elicited. The second block, "Environment - Climate - Microbiome," addressed topics like nutrient efficiency and emissions, with a special focus on the environment and changing climate conditions. Subsequent blocks addressed "Hot topics on cattle" and "Hot topics on pigs," respectively, with a particular focus on health, efficiency, robustness and marketing. Old indigenous livestock breeds and niche products were also thematically addressed in this block. The last two blocks dealt with "Techniques in reproductive biology" in animal breeding and the topic "Digitalization and data flood: How can agriculture use it?".

Finally, the participants had the opportunity to comment on the contributions of the individual blocks and to discuss them among themselves.
Further information including the exact program of the congress can be found here.