The FAO honours experimental farms committed to sustainable livestock farming

The Global Farm Platform, an international professional network in which INRAE’s Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée and Aster Mirecourt experimental farms are involved, has received technical recognition from the FAO. This distinction recognizes its contributions in the areas of sustainable livestock transformation, One Health, animal health, and Reference Centres.

The Global Farm Platform: an international network at the service of sustainable livestock farming

The Global Farm Platform was established in 2014 in the United Kingdom and brings together 19 research farms and 28 institutions across six continents. Its goal is to reconcile agricultural performance and environmental sustainability by connecting cutting-edge research with real-world farming practices. The network focuses on certain levers:

• Reduce dependence on human and food resources for animal feed.
• Select breeds adapted to local contexts and climate change.
• Improve animal health, welfare, and productivity through agronomic and technological innovations.
• Encourage integrated systems (mixed livestock-crop production, agroforestry, circular economy).
• Connect research with agricultural practices by creating a network of experimental farms in all major climates around the world.
• The network's activity is based on exchanges between its members (field visits, seminars, webinars, conferences) and support for promoting cross-disciplinary research work. It also offers opportunities for international internships and PhDs.

An opportunity for a change in scale for experimental farms 

The experimental farms participating in the network are generally firmly rooted in rural territories and develop projects that involve specific local characteristics. Participating in the network, by exchanging ideas with their counterparts who are working towards similar goals but with different constraints, and sometimes also using different monitoring indicators, enables everyone to contribute to building cross-referenced analyses of the sustainability of livestock farming systems. The Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée experimental farm in Charente Maritime and the Mirecourt experimental farm in the Vosges both participate in this international initiative.

• In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée, research focuses on organic crop-livestock farming in coastal wetlands. Restoring biodiversity and reconciling it with agricultural production are at the heart of the system. The herd of suckler cows of the local Maraîchine breed makes good use of the natural wet meadows. The farm is experimenting with the use of spontaneous resources (reeds, aquatic plants such as Azolla) for feed or bedding, illustrating the concept of circularity which is so important to the GFP. It also takes an original approach to exploring the relationship between humans and farm animals.
• In Mirecourt, the diversified system is based on the complementarity between crop and livestock production. Crops are grown exclusively for human consumption, while livestock make use of resources that cannot be used for human consumption (permanent and temporary pastures for dairy cattle and suckler sheep, alfalfa and crop by-products for pigs). The system being tested is based on the principles of agroecology (nutrient recycling, biological regulation, etc.) and is run with a view to autonomy. Innovative livestock and crop farming practices are being explored (crossbreeding, rearing heifers under foster cows, crop diversification).

By participating in the network, the two INRAE farms have been able to share their work, innovations, and expertise within a framework of global scientific cooperation. They have contributed to joint publications and disseminating their results on an international scale. 

Recognition of the role of experimental farms in the agroecological transition

The award was presented to the Global Farm Platform during the FAO Global Technical Recognition Ceremony on 15 October 2025, at FAO Headquarters in Rome, as part of the organization’s 80th anniversary celebration and the World Food Forum. This recognition highlights not only the commitment of the GFP network, but also the role of experimental farms in the sustainable transformation of livestock farming. It underscores the importance of connecting research with farming practices by promoting approaches that address major challenges: climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, and global health (One Health).

Thanks to their participation in the GFP, INRAE farms have experienced stronger international ties, scientific exchanges with organisations operating in very different contexts, and greater visibility for their actions in support of sustainable and resilient agriculture.

Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée experimental farm    ASTER Mirecourt research unit