FibreBoard 2024

Fibre in animal nutrition – learnings and future direction

This was the theme of the FibreBoard 2024 in Vienna. We had the privilege of hosting Sonja de Vries, Georg Dusel, Megan Edwards, David Isaac, Francesc Molist, Eduard Schneeberger, Yinghua Shi, Bruno Silva and Jan Dirk van der Klis for a successful and forward-looking event.

A huge thank you to all for your dedication and expertise! It was an honor to witness such incredible engagement and knowledge. We are grateful to shape the future of fiber together.

There is hardly a dietary ingredient that is discussed more controversially than fibre. This is not only because fibre is an extremely heterogenous group, but also because commonly used analytical tools do not indicate the true value of fibre in animal diets.

In the last few years, much progress has been made in understanding the properties and effects of dietary fibre in animal nutrition. For this reason, 11 speakers from renowned universities, research institutes and practice gathered with industry experts for 2 days in Vienna to discuss the learnings and future directions of fibre nutrition in animal agriculture.

The recent edition of the FibreBoard was organized by agromed on September 12 and 13 in Vienna, Austria, in the headquarters of RWA (Raiffeisen Ware Austria). In 3 sessions dedicated to fibre nutrition in swine, poultry and companion animals, the group did a deep dive into latest scientific research data, application concepts and practical experience with dietary fibre.

In the course of this exciting event, it quickly became clear that fibre does not equal fibre and, furthermore, represents much more than carbohydrates that are indigestible by host enzymes. Clearly, the true biological value of dietary fibre goes far beyond being just a structural filler.

Among several topics, the group had lively and comprehensive discussions about appropriate parameters for the determination of the true value of fibre in pigs and poultry, the impact of fibre on digesta transit and GI tract development, specific fibre-gut microbiota interactions, and the various effects of fibre on intestinal integrity, digestibility, performance and health.

Please find the outline of the event and summaries of all presentations under the links below. Enjoy reading!