The Mediterranean is a basin in which 19 countries with different economies, languages, cultures, religions and levels of development converge. The Mediterranean also has a diverse poultry industry. It is important to mention that 30.4% of poultry industry in the European Union is produced in Spain, France and Italy. In Spain, just over 60% of poultry production is carried out in the communities (provinces) that are in the Mediterranean. Likewise, Italy is self-sufficient, with a production of 1.32 million metric tons (MT) of chicken meat in 2018 and Morocco produces 570,000 tons of chicken and about 5.8 billion eggs.
A group of people interested in sharing poultry issues in the Mediterranean area decided 13 years ago, in Verona, Italy, to conduct a meeting and created the biennial World’s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) Mediterranean Poultry Summit.
“The idea is that there are many countries that have a more or less a common set of issues, which has to do with warm temperatures, economic problems or pathologies that are shared, as neighbors,” said Prof. Carlos Garcés Narro, chair of the scientific committee of the seventh edition of the Mediterranean Poultry Summit, to be held in Córdoba, Spain.
There are three regions in the Mediterranean that can be defined: southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. Three regions that present differences, in terms of development of countries or orientation of societies. “They are not the same, but it is also true that relations are getting closer with time, due to globalization,” said Prof. Garcés Narro. “Many companies that work in Europe also work in North Africa and the Middle East. We have many links in common and in the end, scientific knowledge and what we share are quite similar.” In this way, a meeting like the Mediterranean Poultry Summit (MPS) strengthens neighborhood ties.
Health and food safety
At the MPS, all topics related to poultry are in the program. However, “there are two issues that concern us especially, which are: animal diseases and food safety.”
Health is something that is shared between neighboring countries. When there is a sanitary problem in a country, it is necessary to be alert and carry out common actions. As for food safety of products such as eggs or chicken meat – which will be emphasized during this meeting – it is a topic that has been widely worked in Europe, but maybe not that much in other countries.
In addition, there are trade relations between countries in North Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East, where more food safety precaution must be taken care of, so that products can cross borders.
The Córdoba MPS will also discuss issues on genetics, of those lines that can be recovered from places where intensive production is not yet as important or dual purpose genetic lines, where the productive pressure is not very strong.
Córdoba: crossroads
The Mediterranean Poultry Summit is going to take place March 25-27, 2020 in Córdoba, Spain. A city where there is a mixture of cultures: Roman, Visigoth, Arabic and Jewish. “All religions, cultures that have been in the Mediterranean environment have passed through Córdoba.” In addition to its great appeal, it is easily accessible.
The official language will be English, but there will be simultaneous translation into Spanish of some of the presentations.
Mediterranean Poultry Summit Facts
Date: March 25-27, 2020
Place:: University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Closing call for papers: December 15, 2019
Registration form: http://www.mpn-wpsa.org/spain2020/index.php/registration-info
