Ensuring the well-being of animals is an area of growing emphasis for livestock professionals across the world, and to support and advance their efforts, Bayer Animal Health has launched the new global Care4Pigs grant initiative.

The Care4Pigs initiative is in collaboration with the Farm Animal Welfare Education Centre (FAWEC) and Korean Association of Swine Veterinarians (KASV) and offers three projects the chance of receiving 10,000 euros each to support innovation aimed at enhancing swine well-being, an announcement said.

Bayer said well-being is a prerequisite for good animal health, and enhancements that benefit the animals ultimately also benefit the farm. Importantly, innovations and advancements in this area are a continuous process and require the long-term commitment of livestock professionals.

“Livestock professionals are creative innovators who work to overcome various challenges to keep animals healthy and well cared for. We see remarkable and forward-thinking work on swine operations around the globe, and we are pleased to extend our support and collaborative knowledge through Care4Pigs to further benefit swine well-being,” Almut Hoffmann, head of farm animal products marketing at Bayer Animal Health, said.

The Care4Pigs initiative aims to support and drive farm-level innovations developed by farmers, farm animal keepers, veterinarians, researchers and graduate students who are working to enhance swine well-being in innovative and practical ways.

Octavio Orlovsky Eckhardt, head of swine species marketing at Bayer Animal Health, added, “The Care4Pigs jury will be looking for submissions that demonstrate an innovative approach and measurable benefit on swine well-being. The project’s on-farm practicality and applicability through different systems and production conditions will also be considered, as well as its economic viability.”

Bayer Animal Health will offer grants of 10,000 euros each, to be awarded to three projects, for a total of 30,000 euros. The three projects will be selected by a jury composed of independent animal well-being experts from academia as well as representatives from the Care4Pigs partner organizations and Bayer Animal Health.

How to apply for a Care4Pigs Grant

Submissions for the Care4Pigs grant are welcome from farmers and farm animal keepers, practicing veterinarians, as well as researchers and graduate students in veterinary medicine, agricultural or animal sciences, according to the announcement.

Submitted projects need to demonstrate innovative, practice-oriented ways to improve swine well-being on the farm level; they must also be either already underway or planned to start by early 2021.

Grant applications must be submitted by June 30, 2020, at www.Care4Pigs.com and should include a completed submission form and project proposal.

Visit www.Care4Pigs.com to find out more about the grant and to apply.