On behalf of the Spanish Organising Committee, I am pleased to invite you to attend the 60th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science which will take place in Barcelona from 24 to 27 of August 2009. This will be the 4th time (1956, 1983, 1992 and 2009) that the EAAP meet in Spain, but the first time in Barcelona and it is a special occasion for the Annual Meeting because it is the 60th anniversary of EAAP.

The title of the meeting is ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Animal Production Systems’ which is a hot topic in Europe and a very appropriate subject in view of the current worldwide demands for both human society and livestock industry. Moreover, the topic is also of great interest for the Spanish livestock sector, characterized by fast and dramatic changes in structures and production systems during the last few years, and also having a rich variety of autochthonous breeds of all livestock species which is a clear expression of the wide range of physical and cultural features characterising the land and the people of Spain.

We will have the opportunity to attend a selected number of presentations from a great number of abstracts, and to take part in workshops and discussions of the latest and most relevant research in the field of Animal Science. This is a unique and very profitable occasion for updating our knowledge and acquiring new ideas, in which we specially encourage young scientists and students.

We hope all of you will have a very productive meeting on a scientific level while also enjoying a warm and friendly meeting on a personal level.


Carlos Escribano
Director-General for Agricultural and Livestock Resources, Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs.
President of the Spanish Organising Committee