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As the sophistication of genomic technologies increases and their cost continues to decrease, they are becoming routine tools in livestock breeding programs and production systems. The convergence of electronic measurement systems, cloud-based computing and fast internet enable the use of powerful decision support to help automate and manage livestock production, animal welfare and quality control. The complexity of livestock production systems, combined with the challenges of producing top-quality discretionary products for consumers, means that no single organisation has the range of expertise to support coordinated development of innovation in the relevant supply chains. Collaboration between a broad spectrum of scientists and industry partners is essential to ensure well integrated input to the design and implementation of programs to deliver improvements in efficiency, quality and profit. The need for collaboration among researchers, among research organisations and with end-users has never been more important. Collaboration brings together the skills needed to manage complex problems and enables the sharing of facilities and scarce resources within Australia and internationally. However, the most important component of effective collaboration is the early engagement of end-users to contribute to the design of programs of innovation, to ensure that investment is well targeted and that there is ownership of the problem as well as the solutions delivered through research. Although the potential benefits of effective collaboration are clear, it often takes more than logic to get individuals and organisations to work together. There needs to be a significant financial incentive combined with strong industry leadership and agreed common goals. Allocating resources to establish these foundations for effective collaboration should precede any major research and development funding initiative. The present paper argues that the new face of animal science in Australia should be structured around coordinated programs of research and development, on the basis of effective collaboration. Research leading to significant change in agricultural practice almost always involves collaboration between teams of researchers and multiple end-users as well as sharing resources across multiple organisations. Although benefits and efficiencies are easily recognised, effective multi-institutional teamwork is often difficult to achieve. The present paper draws on experience from the Sheep CRC, over a period of nearly 20 years, where collaboration among an increasing number of participants contributed to many significant changes in the Australian sheep industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The symposium 'Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition – Australia' (RA) was instigated at the University of New England (UNE) in the early 1970s. In the 1950s and 1960s, under the visionary leadership of Professor G. L. (Bill) McClymont, a talented group of young biochemists and nutritionists was recruited to become the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition at UNE and quickly developed a strong reputation for nutritional research on ruminant and monogastric animals. Its members were keen to share their findings with relevant industry representatives and to learn about the major industry challenges. The idea for RA emerged ~1970 when Drs Robin Cumming and David Farrell saw the opportunity for regular RA schools, bringing invited experts from Australia or overseas to interact with UNE staff, post-graduate students and representatives of the monogastric and ruminant livestock industries. The first RA school was probably held in 1974. Aided by flexible working arrangements at UNE, David Farrell was able to champion further RA meetings that were held successfully about every 2 years. However, ~1990, the federal Education Minister John Dawkins began a process of amalgamating Australian higher-education institutions that produced detrimental administrative and financial ramifications for UNE and drained staff morale. After the 1993 meeting, Professor David Farrell left UNE, followed soon afterwards by Professor Ron Leng. The future of RA was at a crossroads; its funding and organisation needed overhauling to enable it to survive. A second, more formal phase of RA meetings (13 in all; 1995–2021), was instigated within a newly formed Department of Animal Science at UNE. The meetings became more formalised and even more financially dependent on industry support and sponsorship; meetings were planned by larger organising committees. Soon, papers were being formally refereed and the scope for provocative speculation of the type promoted at earlier meetings was somewhat curtailed in favour of scientific rigour. Organisers experimented with changed meeting dates, formats and venues at UNE, cumulating with a contentious decision to hold this meeting away from UNE. Despite its challenges, RA has grown in stature over 47 years from the small, informal schools of the early 1970s, to become Australia's leading animal nutrition symposium. 'Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition – Australia' has grown in stature over half a century to become Australia's leading nutrition symposium. This history describes how the first 'nutrition school' was conceived at the University of New England, Armidale (UNE), in the early 1970s, and covers the 25 biennial meetings held at UNE; it pays homage to the many organisers, invited speakers and attendees who have focussed on finding innovative solutions to industry-relevant problems, thereby ensuring the symposium's long-term success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock producers are facing increasing pressure to reduce the environmental and animal-welfare impacts of production, while also managing the challenge of an increasingly variable climate and diminishing resources. This perspective paper highlights the role for animal scientists to contribute to the sustainability of future livestock systems. We argue the need for a broader, more inclusive and more integrated concept of animal science, better connections among scientists, producers, consumers and policy makers, and more support for the next generation of animal scientists. Animal scientists have an important role to play in providing the evidence to support the social licence of livestock production and inform decisions made by policy makers and consumers regarding the production and consumption of livestock products. Animal scientists can also assist producers to adapt to social, environmental and political challenges that affect their livelihoods and the way they farm. Traditionally, animal science has focussed on species- and discipline-specific areas of research such as ruminant nutrition, genetics or reproductive physiology. While this fundamental research remains essential to understand the underlying biology of livestock production and improve production efficiency, it needs to be better integrated into research applied at and beyond the herd or flock level. Systems thinkers who can apply this knowledge across farm, regional and national scales also have an important role in providing information to key decision makers, from farmers to national government. Better engagement with the social and economic sciences can inform how animal scientists and extension services interact with producers to understand constraints to production as well as adoption of new technology and co-develop evidence-based solutions. Underlying this, the demographics of those who study and work in animal science are changing. Australian animal industries require the best and brightest minds to overcome future challenges and engaging these students as the new face of Australian animal science is an essential step towards sustainable future livestock systems. Livestock production is facing new challenges from consumers and operating environments, and, so, the role of animal science must also change to adequately solve these complex problems. The increasingly diverse next generation of animal science graduates has less traditional career pathways and links to primary industries, and will require new methods of mentoring and professional development to support the needs of livestock producers. Integrating other disciplines and systems approaches with species- and discipline-specific science will be essential to ensuring a sustainable future for livestock production in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]