Sustainable animal agriculture for developing countries – a brief history

The inaugural Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries (SAADC) conference took place in Kunming, China, in 2007. The primary aim of this biennial event was to create a forum for collaboration among animal scientists, producers, and policy makers from developing countries, fostering the exchange of experiences and the development of sustainable animal agriculture practices. As of now, SAADC has successfully organised its 9th conference (SAADC 2023), from 21 to 24 November 2023, in Vientiane, Laos, attracting around 200 participants from 26 different countries – an achievement worth celebrating. Bolstered by the backing of its International Advisory Committee (IAC) and a growing number of distinguished scientists from both developing and developed nations, SAADC is now dedicated to broadening its scope. This expansion includes the crucial aspect of capacity building for emerging animal scientists in developing countries, ensuring their competency matches the challenges that arise in sustaining the supply of animal-sourced food products required to meet the nutritional demands of their ever-increasing populations.