Neiker

Role in project: Participant in WPs 2, 3, 5, 7 & 8

Neiker-Tecnalia, the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, is a nonprofit state-owned company assigned to the Department of Environment, Regional Planning, Agriculture and fisheries of the Basque Government. Neiker-Tecnalia is involved in the following R&D objectives:

• To improve productivity and competitiveness of agricultural production systems.
• To develop and apply new management technologies in farms.
• Meeting the quality needs of the agri-food processing industry, the distinctive products and the general consumer. Also becoming the technological infrastructure for the response against biological threats, to the food production system itself and the population in general.

The results of these activities have contributed to the Basque food cultural heritage through the: i) preservation of local varieties of crops (it manages the Spanish reference bank of germoplasm of potato; registration of potato & pepper varieties) and animal biodiversity (conservation & breeding programs of local dairy sheep breeds, and cattle); ii) enhancement of food quality features (PDO and high quality schemes – Idiazabal cheese, Eusko Label beef meat, Rioja wine, Gernika pepper, tomatoes, beans, etc); iii) assessment and improvement of sustainability indicators in food production processes; iv) Food safety, risk assessment and support in alert management.

Profile of staff members working on the project: Dr. Roberto Ruiz has a PhD in Veterinary Sciences Master in Rural Development and Management of Agro-Food Enterprises, is Head of the Department of Animal Production in Neiker-Tecnalia. He has led projects regarding the local dairy (sheep and cattle) and beef systems existing in the Basque Country, Spain, encompassing the whole production chain. His work requires regular contacts with local policy makers, technicians abd farmers’ associations. In addition, Roberto Ruiz is a member of Fundacion Zadorra, a local foundation promoting agro-ecology approaches, and collaborates with the local convivium of Slow Food. He has also international experience through secondments in R&D centres of Scotland, France, Kenya, Mexico and Bolivia. Dr. Miriam Pinto has a PhD in Plant Physiology and Ecology and a Masters in Soil Fertility and Environment and is the Manager of the Environmental Unit in Neiker-Tecnalia. Her expertise is related to environmental aspects of livestock and agriculture. Dr. Pinto keeps a close relationship with local authorities in order to guarantee the transfer of knowledge to policy makers.