IAHA 2026: Organic Livestock's Future at FiBL, Frick

This event listing describes the IAHA 2026 Conference titled "Organic Animal Husbandry: A role model for the future of livestock?" organized by the IFOAM Animal Husbandry Alliance and hosted at the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick, Switzerland. Scheduled for late April 2026, the conference is framed as a global gathering of experts, practitioners, and advocates to discuss how organic animal husbandry can guide the transition toward more sustainable livestock systems worldwide. The event positions organic livestock production as a potential role model, raising questions about its capacity to balance animal welfare, ecological integrity, and food security.

The description highlights the conference’s ambition to develop bold declarations and roadmaps for the sustainable future of global animal husbandry. It emphasizes the need for a unified voice from organic movements in international debates on livestock, climate, and food systems. Participants are invited to contribute papers and presentations on a wide range of themes, signaling the conference’s breadth and the complexity of the issues under discussion. Key thematic areas include the appropriate scale and intensity of animal husbandry, the cultural and ethical dimensions of raising animals, and reflections on the value and role of animals in different socio-ecological contexts.

Other topics explicitly mentioned include the relationship between global food security and animal husbandry—whether they are complementary or antagonistic—and the ongoing tension between organic principles and practical realities on farms. The call for contributions addresses questions such as how farmers can effectively implement organic principles in day-to-day management while coping with economic and climatic pressures. Sessions are also expected to explore the development of organic breeding programs, the integration of animals in agroforestry systems, and crop–animal integration more broadly, making the conference particularly relevant for discussions about livestock in permaculture and regenerative agriculture.

The conference agenda foregrounds "One Health" as a key concept, linking human health, animal health, and ecosystem health in the context of organic animal husbandry. This reflects growing recognition that sustainable livestock systems must account not only for productivity and environmental impact but also for zoonotic risks, antimicrobial resistance, and public health outcomes. Additionally, the event will examine trade-offs among ecology, climate change mitigation, and animal welfare, inviting debate on how different organic and sustainable livestock strategies manage or reconcile these competing priorities.

Overall, the IAHA 2026 Conference is presented as an important event for shaping the future discourse on sustainable livestock production. By convening stakeholders around organic animal husbandry as a possible model, it aims to refine principles, share practical innovations, and chart pathways for integrating animals into diversified, ecologically sound farming systems such as agroforestry and crop–animal integration. The listing underscores the role of FiBL and IFOAM in convening this dialogue and directs interested participants to additional information and submission details via the organizers’ channels.