Improving European protein self-sufficiency and the technical, economic and environmental performance of monogastric livestock farms are important challenges. The European research programme Feed-a-Gene, launched in 2015 to address these challenges, is now proposing innovative solutions that the public will discover during a final meeting to be held at the Hôtel de Rennes Métropole (Rennes, France) on 22 and 23 January 2020.

These solutions provide European pig, poultry and rabbit industry players with market opportunities in the sectors of animal feed, animal genetics and feeding technology.

Four main themes will be discussed:

1. The first will concern the novel feeds developed by the programme partners: European soybean meal obtained by new processes, protein-rich rapeseed meal, and protein concentrates ("green protein") from grasses and legumes.
2. The second theme will be devoted to the modelling of the requirements and performance of monogastric animals, and its implementation within decision support software.
3. The third theme will focus on genetic improvement in pigs and poultry, with new selection schemes based on traits and markers of feed efficiency and resilience.
4. The fourth theme will be about precision feeding, with the presentation of feeding systems able to provide animals at individual (pigs) or group (poultry and rabbits) level with energy and nutrients matching requirements determined in real time. This work will be presented over two days, with ample time for face-to-face interactions between the audience and Feed-a-Gene partners.

On 22 January, the results will be presented in plenary session and during two "coffee-discovery" sessions where the public will meet directly with researchers and solution providers and will be able to test some of the tools developed. A first series of participatory thematic workshops will allow for a more in-depth discussion of the results themselves, their scope and their applications. This work will continue on 23 January, with a second series of thematic workshops, followed by a plenary session where participants will express themselves collectively on the results of the Feed-a-Gene programme and on their potential for innovation in their activities.

A final session will be dedicated to a discussion where all participants will be able to share their vision of the sustainability and future of pig, poultry and rabbit production systems.