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| International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Committee for Animal Recording |
| Formation | 1951 |
| Headquarters | Italy |
| Region served | Worldwide |
| Leader title | President |
International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) is an international association that develops standards, certification, and guidelines for animal identification, performance recording, milk analysis, and genomic evaluation. Founded in 1951, ICAR coordinates with national herdbook organizations, breeding associations, laboratories, and regulatory bodies to harmonize measurement methods for livestock and related species. Its activities intersect with laboratory networks, pedigree registries, and international agricultural research institutions.
ICAR originated in the post‑World War II era when Food and Agriculture Organization and European breeding societies emphasized standardized recording for dairy cattle and other livestock. Early collaborations involved Federation of European Animal Science Societies, World Organisation for Animal Health, and national herdbooks such as National Dairy Herd Improvement Association and Holstein Association USA. During the 1960s and 1970s ICAR expanded interactions with laboratory networks including International Dairy Federation laboratories and national metrology institutes like Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. In the 1980s and 1990s genomic methods prompted ties with institutions such as European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Roslin Institute, and USDA Agricultural Research Service. Recent decades saw ICAR engaging with International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, International Plant Protection Convention, World Organisation for Animal Health programs, and regional bodies including African Union agricultural initiatives and Asian Development Bank projects.
ICAR's mission aligns measurement consistency with animal breeding policy makers, national herdbook authorities, and research institutes. Objectives include establishing technical protocols for milk analysis alongside standards used by International Organization for Standardization and accreditation schemes like International Accreditation Forum, promoting animal identification comparable to systems developed by European Food Safety Authority and United States Department of Agriculture, and supporting genomic evaluations used by Food and Agriculture Organization and European Commission research programs. ICAR also seeks interoperability between databases like those maintained by World Reference Base style registries and national registers such as Canadian Dairy Network and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Members comprise national herdbook organizations, breeding associations, milk laboratories, artificial insemination centers, and genomic services from regions including Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America. Notable member organizations mirror entities such as Holstein Association USA, Holstein France, Netherlands Cattle Improvement Cooperative, CONAFE (Mexico), and Irish Cattle Breeding Federation. Governance features an elected board with committees reflecting expertise from institutions like Wageningen University, INRAE, University of Edinburgh, University of Guelph, and ETH Zurich. ICAR works with accreditation bodies such as European Cooperation for Accreditation and standard setters including International Organization for Standardization technical committees.
ICAR produces certification programs and manuals for animal identification (ear tags, electronic identification), milk recording, somatic cell counting, and performance recording harmonized with laboratory standards used by International Dairy Federation and AOAC International. Certification schemes reference methods taught at research centers such as Veterinary Research Institute (Czech Republic), Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, and clinical labs affiliated with Royal Veterinary College. ICAR technical standards aim to align with regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions like European Union, United States, and Brazil while supporting accreditation pathways involving International Accreditation Forum and regional bodies such as ANAB and UKAS.
ICAR offers services including technical working groups, proficiency testing, calibration programs, and training courses delivered with partners like World Organisation for Animal Health, FAO Regional Office for Europe, and universities such as Lodz University of Technology. Programs include herdbook data exchange, genomic evaluation harmonization, and milk laboratory proficiency testing undertaken with laboratories from CSIRO, DairyNZ, Teagasc, and national reference labs in Italy and Germany. ICAR also maintains databases and software interoperability initiatives comparable to projects run by Global Alliance for Genomics and Health and national animal identification registries.
ICAR publishes technical guidelines, proceedings from symposia, and peer-reviewed reports collaborating with journals and research centers like Journal of Dairy Science, Animal, Livestock Science, Genetics Selection Evolution, INRAE, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and European Journal of Operational Research. Its research topics encompass milk composition analysis, somatic cell measurement, genomic evaluation methodologies linked with work at AgResearch, Embrapa, University of Minnesota, and Cornell University. ICAR proceedings often cite collaborative studies involving Roslin Institute, Wageningen University & Research, and national breeding programs.
ICAR organizes biennial conferences, symposia, and workshops drawing participants from institutions such as World Bank agricultural projects, European Commission research programs, FAO, and national agencies like USDA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Past events have featured contributions from scientists affiliated with University of Copenhagen, Ghent University, Technical University of Denmark, ISU (Iowa State University), University of Barcelona, and University of Padua. ICAR collaborates with international initiatives including Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, One Health networks, and regional livestock improvement programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Category:Animal breeding organizations Category:Livestock