This publication collects the Proceedings of the 33rd Biennial Session of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) held in Interlaken, Switzerland on 26-31 May 2002. Around 400 participants from 60 countries took part in the ICAR Session or attended the Interbull Meeting. The activities were divided into five parallel technical sessions. Overall, about 40 technical papers and reports were presented during the sessions. A technical session was especially reserved for the presentation of the activities of the Task-Forces, Sub-Committees and Working Groups in which a total of 19 reports were presented. The issues that were discussed covered the use of new technologies for animal performance recording, the application of national animal tracing databases, the use of data from permanent milk recording for official performance recording, the performance recording of beef traits and possible alternative systems of recording of functional traits. Particularly relevant was also the involvement of representatives of non-member organizations, especially from Central and Eastern Europe and developing countries, whose needs demonstrate the possibilities that are offered to ICAR to help the (re)organization of the animal sector. This supporting activity with those finalized to reach a better comparison of the production systems among the member organization demonstrate the potentialities of the association. The Sessions allowed an active exchange of ideas and experiences among the participants who recognized that the dialogue is the engine for improvement. Considering that the resources of most member organizations have been reduced, the need of working together was strongly underlined, today more than in the past, in order to achieve shared objectives.

"This publication contains the proceedings of the 34th Biennial Session of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and the Interbull Meeting held in Sousse, Tunisia from 28th May to 3rd June 2004.The book is divided in five sessions, containing in total 50 technical papers and reports. One key session debates the traceability and all subjects involved in animal health recording. This publication also presents, for the first time, the statistics of the ""Yearly inquiry on the situation of milk recording in ICAR member countries. Results for the years 2001 and 2002"" are up-dated to April 2004. About 35 pages are devoted to national milk productions, their recording costs, position of milk recording and the results of milk recording divided by breeds and are presented in easy to read tables. The main topics covered in this book are: - the latest genetic improvement techniques for the global dairy industry; - the potential to create an international beef evaluation system; - presentation of advancing new technical standards for identification, performance testing, as well as a discussion of global priorities for livestock management; - new tools to improve the fertility of dairy cows. New technologies have always been important in ICAR forums for members to understand and discuss. In this conference electronic identification and measurement, DNA recording, and internet services were debated, with an exchange of experiences by the delegates. Finally, new strategies for potential new services for the ICAR member organisations were discussed. One such proposal was for an international benchmarking service for measuring and comparing the activities of ICAR organizations."

"Livestock production systems will only be sustained in the long term if their products continue to meet the demand of consumers. The quality of ruminant carcasses, meat and meat products is of predominant importance in a competitive market where consumers tend to have a preconceived idea about the criteria that define meat quality such as flavour, tenderness, juiciness, smell, colour and texture. The carcass evaluation could be interesting as a precocious classification of the final quality of meat coming from each carcass. Today the quality characteristics of the meat must be different according to its utilisation (supermarket, butcher, catering, refectory, etc.) and so it is very important to choose very early the final destination of the carcass. Obviously, the carcass classification must correlate with meat quality characteristics required by final consumer. Other important factors that have to be taken into account in order to maintain a demand for ruminant meat are safety and traceability. This book reviews the historical and recent developments for carcass evaluation and grading for meat quality assessment in beef and sheep. It places special emphasis on new concepts and approaches to define carcass and meat quality and on the use of modern technologies for composition and quality evaluation. A range of technologies are presented such as ultrasounds and colour reflectance, X-ray computerised tomography, spectral and thermal imaging, image analysis and NIRS. The use of phenotypic markers such as the plasma hormones and genetic markers to predict carcass composition and meat quality are also presented."

"Precision Livestock Farming presents the latest scientific results from worldwide research, field studies and practical application. The book contains peer-reviewed papers that were presented at the 2nd European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming.The major topics in the book are animal welfare; food quality (including traceability of origin) and environmental pollution (including treatment of animal waste). The wide range of research topics reported will be a valuable resource for researchers, advisors, teachers and professionals in agriculture long after the conference has finished."

"This publication focuses on the various aspects of domestic animal recording, aimed at improving the management of herds and increasing their productivity. New strategies for recording are illustrated and the most updated technologies are presented, on the basis of national experiences where such technologies are already adopted. Although cattle is the prominent species, two parts are dedicated to small ruminants recording and to buffalo recording. Future challenges and opportunities for further development of ICAR and the definition of the future scenarios in the animal recording sector are also described. A special section is dedicated to 'Improving the health traits by recording and evaluation', where the past and future of animal recording and the use of animal recording data for genetic evaluation and breeding are defined. Another section deals with the 'ICAR Reference Laboratory Network', where the reference systems, the principles and the practices for calibration system for routine milk testing are presented. The publication ends with the national statistics on the 'Yearly enquiry on the situation of milk recording in member countries' for the years 2003 and 2004. A total of 45 pages describes the methodologies used at national level for milk recording, the national data for milk production, the costs of recording and the productivity and numbers of recorded cattle at national level (divided by species and by herdbook)."