A pioneering research and innovation programme, BIOFRAME (Tailored Biosecurity Framework for Non-Intensive Animal Farming Systems), has officially launched to address the unique health and safety challenges facing the UK and Europe’s outdoor, free-range, and extensive livestock sectors.

Coordinated by Ghent University and supported by a multidisciplinary consortium across eight countries, the 36-month project aims to bridge the gap between high-level biosecurity standards and the practical realities of non-intensive pig, poultry, and ruminant farming. While these systems are favoured for boosting animal welfare and biodiversity, they face heightened risks from wildlife contact and varied regulatory landscapes.

“Biosecurity is so important, but it isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, especially for farmers who prioritise outdoor and non-intensive systems,” says Holly Shearman, Head of Livestock at Innovation for Agriculture. “Through BIOFRAME; we want to work directly with the farming community to co-design a framework that is practical, economically viable, and grounded in the observable behaviours of both animals and people.”

 

A Bottom-Up Approach to Animal Health

Unlike traditional ‘top-down’ mandates, BIOFRAME utilises a participatory approach to ensure the tools developed are genuinely usable on working farms. Key pillars of the project include:

  • Co-Design: Building a biosecurity framework alongside the farmers who will use it.
  • Policy Analysis: Identifying legislative barriers in the UK and EU that may hinder effective biosecurity in non-intensive systems.
  • On-Farm Pilot Studies: Testing solutions on commercial farms to prove their efficacy in on the ground farm conditions.
  • Bioeconomic Modelling: Analysing the costs and benefits to ensure health improvements are financially sustainable for producers.

 

UK Participation and Funding

The UK’s involvement is spearheaded by Innovation for Agriculture (IfA) and the University of Nottingham (UoN), with funding provided by Defra. IfA is leading the project’s communication and stakeholder engagement, which is central to the project; whilst assisting UoN who co-lead the critical research into behavioural insights - using focus groups and interviews to understand the human element of disease prevention, as well as facilitating the on-farm pilot studies within the UK.

BIOFRAME is part of the Horizon Europe Project 101136346 EUPAHW, co-funded by the European Commission and participating national funding organisations.

 

About BIOFRAME

BIOFRAME brings together experts from Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Finland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and North Macedonia. The consortium is dedicated to fostering resilient farming systems that protect animal health without sacrificing the welfare benefits of non-intensive production.

For further information, please visit www.bioframe.co.uk or contact the team at contactbioframe@i4agri.org or biosecurity.chair@ugent.be.