The 15th Journées de la Recherche Avicole et Palmipèdes à Foie Gras, held in Tours on March 20 and 21, 2024, highlighted the challenges facing poultry research in France against a backdrop of increasing competition. Organized by ITAVI, INRAE, ANSES and CTCPA, this biennial event brought together researchers and professionals to discuss the advances and challenges facing the sector, and more than 500 people attended this year’s Research Days.

The first day was dedicated to presentations on the evolution of breeding systems and the interactions between breeding and society, followed by specialized sessions on the second day covering various fields such as Economics and Sociology, Sustainability and Environment, Breeding Systems, Management and Animal Welfare, Pathology and Prevention, Product Hygiene and Quality, Genetics and Reproduction and finally Nutrition.

Our presentation focused on the results of the INTAQT project, which aims to improve the quality of products from different types of livestock, particularly poultry.

In our presentation, we emphasized the project’s participatory approach, which enabled a fruitful dialogue between researchers and poultry industry players. The consultations identified innovative practices and key quality criteria, highlighting the importance of animal welfare, the environment and economics. This feedback will guide the development of appropriate assessment tools and strengthen the overall assessment of chicken meat quality, underlining the importance of considering husbandry practices when assessing product quality.

Dialogue between food chain players and researchers will continue throughout the project. The aim will be to inform them of the results obtained, and thereby facilitate their dissemination to the various professional players, as well as to solicit their expertise for the development of the multi-criteria quality assessment tool.