BSAS hosts conference amid 80th anniversary celebrations

The British Society of Animal Science’s (BSAS) Annual Conference, is set to take place in Belfast from April 9th to April 11th, 2024, coinciding with the society's 80th anniversary celebrations. Established in 1944, BSAS has been at the forefront of fostering collaboration and innovation in animal science for eight decades.

The conference, themed on ‘The role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy’ is shaping up to be a dynamic and enriching event, offering unparalleled opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration as it will convene experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from across the UK and Ireland and beyond to discuss and explore the latest scientific advancements and knowledge.

The opening session of the conference will include Prof Maggie Gill (Aberdeen Uni), Prof Frank O’Mara of Teagasc and the EU Animal Task Force and Dr Katie McDermott (University of Leeds).  Frank will be the main speaker opening the debate and outlining the current state of knowledge with regard to the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy.

A further highlight of this year's conference is the President’s Session (Wednesday 10th April), in which the presidents of the British Ecological Society (Prof Bridget Emmett; UKCEH); British Society of Soil Science (Dr Jack Hannan, Cranfield Uni); President-Elect from the Agricultural Economics Society of Ireland (Dr Erin Sherry, AFBI) and Elizabeth Magowan, President of BSAS, will come together to discuss and find a fact-based position on the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy. The session will be chaired by a past President of the Ulster Farmers Union – Prof John Gilliland.   The presidents session will be followed by the ‘Hammond Lecture’ which will be delivered by Prof Hannah Van Zanten of Wageningen University.  Hannah is a world leading scientist, and her presentation will outline novel approaches to driving circularity in farming systems with Livestock a key feature of that circular system.

On Thursday 11th April, sessions on sustainable beef production and reducing the environmental impact of dairy systems will address the potential interventions which will reduce emissions and how we can apply science to best benefit.

The highlights above are just a few examples of the cutting-edge science and its practical application that will be discussed and debated at the conference. Full programme details can be found here.

There are various options for attending e.g. one day ticket, three day ticket, 80th anniversary Gala dinner ticket and a one off special offer of £120 to attend the presidents session noted above, including lunch.