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On behalf of the 28th Council I commend this special edition of Animal Production Science to you for it showcases the great work being done by ASAP members on behalf of our farm animal industries. These peer-reviewed papers, along with short papers published by our Society in the companion edition of Animal Production in Australia, were presented to the Society's Biennial Scientific Conference held at the University of New England, Armidale, 11–15 July 2010. We have chosen the Conference theme: "Livestock production in a changing environment". We are witnessing change: in the basis of provision of government funding of R, D and E; a move to open competition between tertiary education institutions for students and the funding that comes with them; farmers grappling with increasing regulation and community expectations and a high Aussie dollar that is hurting their export sales; whilst seemingly everyone in the community has an opinion on whether we are witnessing "man-induced" climate change. It is in this changing environment that the conference committee decided to invite expert speakers to look ahead and present their views on the themes of food security and production, education, extension, and adoption. Progress and looking ahead are also the themes for the traditional ASAP special lectures: the McClymont (Agricultural Systems), Underwood (Livestock Nutrition) and Harry Stobbs (Grazing Management) lectures; and new this conference: the John Barnett lecture (Animal Welfare). We have strived to build on the initiative of the previous Federal Council to attract new members and to ensure that ASAP remains relevant to researchers and producers alike. |
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