Delegation Visit to UC Davis - Strengthening Danish-Californian Collaboration in Sustainable Animal Food Production
As part of the international networking initiative SusAnFoods (Sustainable Production of Animal-Derived Foods), researchers and partners from Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the MAPP Centre at Aarhus University, together with Food & Bio Cluster Denmark (FBCD), recently took part in a delegation visit to the University of California, Davis, to strengthen ties with key network collaborators.
SusAnFoods is a newly established Danish-Californian network aimed at fostering strategic collaboration across research institutions, industry stakeholders, and governmental and interest organizations. The network shares a common goal of addressing critical sustainability challenges in livestock production.
During the two-day visit, the delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with partners from academia, industry, and public institutions - including the California Air Resources Board, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Dairy Research Foundation, and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries of Denmark. The conversations covered a broad range of topics, from emissions reduction, dairy innovations, and alternative proteins to wider discussions on consumer behavior and agricultural policy.
“Together with UC Davis, we will work on sustainable and resilient food production for the global population,” said Brian Vinter, Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, highlighting the impact of this international collaboration platform.
Charlotte Lauridsen, Head of the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Aarhus University and coordinator of SusAnFoods, added: “Next year, we will welcome our partners from UC Davis to Denmark to further develop our research ideas into innovative, mission-driven projects that contribute to the green transition.”
The SusAnFoods network is envisioned as a long-term platform for collaborative research between Denmark and California, focusing on strategic and innovative approaches to sustainable food and livestock production. The network also aims to support the training of young scientists, helping to build a strong foundation for future collaboration.
Project participants in this delegation visit included:
- Brian Vinter, Vice Dean for Research, Head of PhD school, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University
- Charlotte Lauridsen, Head of Department, Professor, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University
- Klaus G. Grunert, Professor of Marketing & Founder of the MAPP Research Center, Aarhus University
- Lars Esbjerg, Associate professor, Department of Management, Aarhus University
- Liselotte Puggaard, Innovation Manager, Food & Bio Cluster Denmark
- Peter Lund, Head of Section Ruminant Nutrition, Professor, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University
- Stig Purup, Senior Scientist, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University
- Xi Song, Communication Officer, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University
SusAnFoods is supported by the International Innovation Network Programme under the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen). Read more about the SusAnFoods project here: