The webinar, organized by the Embassy of Denmark in Chile in collaboration with ChileCarne, focused on the Danish poultry production model and how their experience can be applied to Latin American poultry farming.
The webinar, held on August 23, kicked off a series organized by the Trade Council of Denmark in Latin America to share Danish knowledge and experiences to promote sustainable poultry production in Latin America and the available Danish solutions.
The meeting featured Mie Ole Lauritzen, Food Nation Senior Project Manager; Jens Munk Ebbesen, Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs Director at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council (DAFC); and Lars Smed Jensen, First Vice-president of the Danish Export Credit Agency (EKF).
Ole talked about the Danish experience in agriculture and food production highlighting that they are a “small country with a long history as a food nation,” where the key to their success in developing innovation and technology has been the collaboration between universities, businesses, the industry, trade associations, and the government.
She also explained that Denmark faces the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions, moving towards more sustainable energies, and exploring innovative products and solutions to support each stage of the poultry production chain.
The Food Nation’s representative also explained what the primary production sector does in disease detection, air cleaning, and enzymatic solutions for feedstuffs. In food processing, Ole explained the actions that allow food waste to be reduced thanks to the high quality of the meat, and how they cut the use of water in half. Talking about respect for natural resources, she explained that they favor the use of local protein, mostly produced organically, and the promotion of renewable energy, whose use has tripled in recent years.
In turn, Munk Ebbesen talked about the private sector’s role in poultry and egg production and its challenges, providing key figures from Danish poultry production, which in 2020 reached 166,900 tons of birds.
DAFC’s food safety and veterinary expert explained that the poultry industry in Denmark is a system that cares about each step of the value chain, paying close attention to the applicable legislation, working side by side with the government on preventing diseases such as salmonella, campylobacter, and avian influenza.
Munk Ebbesen highlighted the importance of animal welfare for the industry, pointing out that all Danish chicken roam freely, with free access to water and feed, thus improving their quality of life.
Lastly, Smed Jensen talked about the financing opportunities offered by EKF to import Danish equipment, detailing the options available with no caps and at competitive rates.
To keep the conversation going, the Trade Council confirmed an upcoming webinar that will focus on sustainability and salmonella, which will take place on September 27 at 11:00 a.m.
