Closing remarks from the EAAP President - Joël Bérard

As the 76th EAAP Annual Congress came to a close, the President of EAAP shared these words, looking back on his first year of leadership:

“The 76th EAAP Annual Congress ended successfully few weeks ago, and with its conclusion, my first year as president has also come to an end.

It is therefore time for a brief review.

Thanks to the exceptional work of my colleagues at the EAAP Secretariat, the activities carried out this year have been truly impressive. I cannot list them all, but I would like to highlight a few: ·

• EAAP Workshop “Insect Genetic IMProvement, IMPlementation, IMPact” – Athens (Greece)
• EAAP Workshop on Companion Animals “Companion animal science: where we are and where we go” – Milan (Italy)
• EAAP Workshop on “Artificial Intelligence for Animal Science (AI4AS)” – Zurich (Switzerland)
• 3rd EAAP Regional Meeting 2025 “Animal Production in the Changing World” – Krakow (Poland)
• Annual Congress that has just concluded – Innsbruck (Austria) Every month, webinars on current topics were organised with very high participation.

In addition, every two weeks the EAAP newsletter (translated into 10 languages) was sent to more than 9,000 members, with an average open/download rate of around 30%.

All these activities were made possible thanks to the tireless work of our two Vice-Presidents: Sam de Campeneere and Gunnfríður Elín Hreiðarsdóttir, the Council Members, the EAAP study commission presidents and their teams and the secretary of the Scientific Committee Hans Spoolder.

From a personal perspective, despite the countless hours of work dedicated, I feel that I have received much more than I have given. Each of these meetings, workshops, and conferences has enriched me both personally and professionally. Over the course of this year, I have met representatives from the worlds of research, industry, education, politics, and civil society. Despite their different perspectives on animal production and their different competences and
expectations, they all shared a common thread: the recognition of animal production systems as key to a sustainable and resilient agri-food system. Animal production plays an essential role in providing healthy food, delivering valuable ecosystem services, and contributing to economic development.
Nevertheless, the challenges ahead are significant: reducing emissions and losses, improving efficiency, addressing food/feed competition, and strengthening animal welfare measures. These challenges must be seen as opportunities for research and development. To achieve this, we need to work together — and EAAP will be at your side on this journey, because, in reality, you are the EAAP: you as individual and country members. With your expertise and passion, we will achieve these
common goals, supported by EAAP dissemination and networking efforts.
As your president, I hope that I have lived up to your expectations and that I have been able to represent and serve you to the best of my ability. I would like to thank you all once again for the honour and opportunity you have given me.

I look forward to seeing you next year in Hamburg. In the meantime, I wish all EAAP members and nonmembers every success in their work.
Ad maiora, my dear friends and colleagues…