RUMINATE

Lower Emissions • Stronger Resilience • Sustainable Livestock Systems

Funded under Horizon Europe, the four-year project brings farmers, researchers, advisors and industry partners together to reduce methane emissions in cattle and strengthen sheep resilience to heat stress.

Coordinated by Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) and supported by a multidisciplinary consortium across eight countries, the project will develop scalable and cost-effective solutions combining genomics, nutrition, predictive modelling, herd management and digital technologies to support sustainable and climate-resilient livestock systems.

The RUMINATE project officially kicked off with a two-day meeting held on 1–2 July 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, hosted by the project coordinator.

Across two productive days, the RUMINATE consortium came together to align around a shared ambition: turning advances in genomics, nutrition, predictive modelling and digital innovation into practical solutions that that are not only scientifically robust, but also cost-effective, scalable and relevant to real farm conditions. Beyond the meeting room, partners also took part in a guided tour of Thessaloniki, including a walkthrough at CERTH premises, creating space for ideas, collaboration and the trust needed for a strong four-year journey.

At the heart of this work is the Future Farming Design Studio network across 6 countries that IfA is coordinating. The FFDS are collaborative spaces where farmers, researchers, advisors and industry partners will co-create, test and refine solutions in real farming environments. This farmer-centred approach is designed to ensure that RUMINATE’s results are practical, understandable and ready to support everyday decision-making on farms.

Expected outputs include nutritional protocols for climate-resilient livestock, genetic marker panels, predictive models and a user-friendly Decision Support Tool to guide feeding and herd management strategies.

More info: https://ruminate-project.eu/#about