The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, Professor Sir Eric Thomas, officially signed the Global Farm Platform Statement of Intent on Tuesday 10 February 2015.
Photo: Supplied by The University of Bristol
The University of Bristol has been instrumental in establishing the Global Farm Platform, an international programme on sustainable ruminant production, contributing to food security, sustainability and poverty alleviation.
The initiative currently comprises 15 leading universities and research institutes across six continents, with funding from the Cabot Institute, the Worldwide Universities Network, the Global Innovation Initiative and individual member institutions. The Global Farm Platform uses a worldwide network of model farms (farm platforms) to develop transformational solutions to challenges confronting sustainable ruminant production and promote their adoption.
The farms, supported by an international multidisciplinary research consortium, will provide a unique combination of research and practice for diverse ruminant production systems in a wide range of cultural, socioeconomic and climatic zones. They also offer an unrivalled opportunity to carry out high-quality scientific investigation in centres of excellence, allowing members to progress further and faster than would otherwise be possible working as individual institutions.
Photo: Supplied by The University of Bristol
Members will use the Global Farm Platform to enhance opportunities for the development of large transnational research proposals, the collection and sharing of big data, scientific exchanges and for the application of cutting-edge technologies. The Platform will further provide a unique vehicle for training of early-career researchers.
Global Farm Platform scientists have drafted a Statement of Intent that sets out the vision, mission and plan of the Global Farm Platform. Endorsement of this statement by the partner institutions will signal their commitment and commonality of purpose, and, it is hoped, support applications to national and international governmental and philanthropic funds to deliver transformational science for sustainable ruminant production.
The signing took place at 5 pm on Tuesday 10 February 2015 in the drawing room of the University of Bristol’s historic Royal Fort House. For more information, please contact Mark Eisler or Michael Lee.
