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International audience; The ERA-NET project SuSI deals with immunocastration (IC) as a sustainable alternative to pork production with surgical castrates and boars with the aim to optimize pork production on a social, environmental and economic level. Most male piglets in the EU are surgically castrated, which is painful and violates their physical integrity. Raising entire males is not the hoped-for alternative, mainly due to boar taint, while the use of anaesthesia/analgesia during castration also encounters challenges at the level of animal welfare, environment and user safety. The key findings of SuSI are: (1) IC works reliably under different housing conditions and reduces behavioural as well as animal welfare problems; (2) IC effectively reduces boar taint, with differences between animal trials. The chance of boar taint was not completely absent in all trials; (3) IC produces meat of high quality comparable to surgical castrates and is thus an alternative for high-quality traditional products and outdoor systems; (4) IC is ecologically efficient, when feed is adapted to dynamic requirements; (5) IC has a high level of consumer acceptance as an ethical concept as well as due to the good sensorial quality; (6) IC has economic and productivity benefits – if it gains market acceptance. Stakeholders at EU level are generally ready to abandon castration without anaesthesia/analgesia, while the preference for alternatives depends on external factors, e.g. the production system and the market. SuSI offers optimized knowledge of IC to support the stakeholders in their decision-making processes for consumer-acceptable pork production across the EU. IC can make the EU pig industry more sustainable and for some countries more competitive.

International audience; The overall objective of the COST action IPEMA is to find and disseminate general, region-specific or chain-specific solutions for the development of alternatives to surgical castration of male pigs: entire male production (EM) and immunocastration (IC). IPEMA is looking for integrated solutions taking into account meat quality (boar taint, water holding capacity, tenderness, fat quantity and quality), animal welfare, breeding, nutrition and economy. IPEMA aims to coordinate research between national programmes and fill knowledge gaps between different areas in Europe and between science and relevant stakeholders. The specific objectives are (1) to guide breeding programmes for pork production systems with EM (boar taint, other meat quality traits, behaviour), (2) to develop nutritional concepts for EM and IC (requirements, boar taint, fat quantity and quality), (3) to define EM specific housing, management, transport and slaughter conditions, (4) to evaluate innovations in grading and meat quality control systems (boar taint, other meat quality traits), (5) to assist innovations in the processing industry to adapt products to EM and IC characteristics and to valorise tainted meat, (6) to develop specific information strategies for European countries and export markets and harmonise sensory studies on boar taint. IPEMA started in October 2016 and will finish in September 2020. IPEMA membership currently includes institutions from 22 European countries. IPEMA wants to extend its membership by including more members from (1) the Eastern part of Europe, neighbouring countries and other international partners and (2) all levels of the pig chains: organisation representing the farmers as well as upstream and downstream industry. The IPEMA consortium acknowledges the financial support of the EU, COSTaction CA15215