Report of the Vice-President of WPSA and President of African Poultry Network of the WPSA to the WPSA Executive Committee (EC)

The 1st World Native Poultry Conference (WNPC1), co-organized by the Asia Pacific Federation of the  World’s Poultry Science Association (APF-WPSA) and the Small-Scale Family Poultry Farming (SSFPF) Working Group of the WPSA was held on 12 March 2025 at the Jupiter Hall 10 in the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, as part of the prestigious VIV Asia, Meat Pro Asia 2025 Exhibition. This major event with the main theme ‘Fighting poverty through native poultry’ was attended by over 120 participants coming from 17 countries, including Australia, Fiji, France, India, Malawi (video), Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.

The WNPC1 was structured around four sessions and concluded with a roundtable on ‘Poverty alleviation through native poultry’. After the introductory talk on ‘World’s Poultry Science Association: past, present and future’ given by Dr. Michèle Tixier-Boichard (France), three plenary talks were delivered; i. ‘The concept of native poultry: from genetic diversity to local farming systems?’ by Dr. Michèle Tixier-Boichard, ii. ‘Native poultry:  contributions to sustainable household food and nutrition security and gender equity’ by Dr. Robyn Alders (Australia), iii. ‘SASSO’s breeding program for traditional poultry – setting the standard for smallholder farms in Africa’ by Mr. Teun van de Braak (Netherlands). Five keynote talks were delivered; a. ‘Contributions of native poultry to food security, wealth creation and sustainable livelihoods under resource-limited conditions’ by Dr. E. Fallou Guèye (Senegal), b. ‘The role of Korat chickens in reducing inequality problem’ by Dr. Amonrat Molee (Thailand), c. ‘Native chickens as sustainable bio-recyclers and zero-waste partners utilizing the kitchen food waste’ by Dr.  Nasir Mukhtar (Pakistan), d. ‘Sustainable farming practices for native poultry in developing nations: Balancing productivity with environmental and cultural preservation’ by Dr. Shahid Mehmood (Pakistan), e. ‘Disease control and health strategies for native poultry’ by Dr. Keat Fu (Malaysia).

Two keynote talks were submitted and not presented; f. ‘Transforming the traditional subsistence-based smallholder poultry production system to a commercial-oriented and sustainable production system in the Global South: Tropical Poultry Genetic Solutions (TPGS) experience’ by Dr. Tadelle Dessie (Ethiopia), g. ‘Genetic diversity and improvement of meat production in developing countries’ by Dr. Jean-Claude Fotsa (Cameroon). Ten short talks were given; 1. ‘Morphology and morphometry of indigenous Siruvaidai chicken of India’ by Dr. R. Richard Churchil (India), 2. ‘Association of 24 bp indel polymorphic alleles of the prolactin (PRL) gene with egg laying and broodiness traits in indigenous Siruvidai and Aseel chicken ecotypes’ by Dr. D. Gandhimathi (India), 3. ‘Transforming native chickens into improvised dual-purpose poultry birds’ by Mr. Rajarammohan Ramanathapillai (Sri Lanka), 4. ‘Phenotypic diversity and preliminary observations on genetic variation in indigenous chickens ecotypes of Eswatini’ by Mr. Samkelo M. Motsa & Dr. Chih-Feng Chen (Taiwan), 5. ‘Addressing challenges in native poultry farming: a ranking of key constraints affecting smallholder farmers in Tamil Nadu, India’ by Dr. Vasanthi Balan, 6. ‘Effect of low-protein diet on laying performance and egg quality in dual-purpose chicken’ by Ms. Tsai-Hsuan Lee et al. (Taiwan), 7. ‘Importance of ethnoveterinary practices in small-scale poultry farming in Asia’ by Dr. Santwana Palai (India), 8. ‘Nutritional status and growth performance of Fijian non-descript local chickens and their crosses with broilers under different production systems’ by Dr. Lorenzo Berukilukilu et al. (Fiji), 9. ‘Evaluating the preventive efficacy of Artemisia annua and Artemisinin against chicken Leucocytozoon infection’ by Mr. Yen-Cheng Lin (Taiwan), 10. ‘Malawi, village chickens, and I-2 Newcastle disease vaccine’ by Dr. Pat Boland & Ms. Adija Masambo (Malawi).

The WNPC1, whose Proceedings can be downloaded from the link, promoted the development and sustainability of native poultry (NP) farming across the world for poverty alleviation, enhancement of food sovereignty, improvement in rural economies, and support for biodiversity. With the view to fostering a global community dedicated to the advancement and sustainability of NP farming. Outcomes of the WNPC1 included (i) the showcase of innovations through presentations and discussions of the latest research, innovations, and technologies in the breeding, management, and health of NP; (ii) the promotion of sustainable practices through discussions and promotion of the sustainable farming practices that support the conservation and utilization of NP breeds; (iii) the support for the economic development through the exploration of ways NP farming can contribute to local economies and rural development; (iv) the advocacy for policies that support the development and conservation of NP farming including all species; (v) the support for cultural preservation through the recognition and preservation of the cultural significance of NP breeds in various regions; and (vi) the support for health, nutrition and food security by highlighting the nutritional benefits and food security contributions of NP products.

Conclusions

NP breeds playing a pivotal role in the genetic foundation of all current commercial poultry breeds worldwide, the WNPC1 marked a significant milestone in the global recognition and development of NP breeds, particularly for small-scale family poultry farmers in less-favoured environments of the developing world. The WNPC1 highlighted critical discussions on NP farming in resource-poor settings. It brought together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore key challenges and opportunities in NP farming. It permitted to create the framework to support small-scale poultry farmers by integrating native and commercial poultry farming to alleviate poverty, enhance rural livelihoods and promote gender equity.

The 2nd World Native Poultry Conference (WNPC2) will be held in 2027 in Taiwan.

March 18^th, 2025

Dr E. Fallou Guèye

WPSA-APN President & WPSA Vice-President