In November 2025, the White Hall of the Agricultural Experiment Station (EEA) Colonia Benitez of INTA became a space for dialogue and exchange between technical staff and local producers. 

The workshop, titled "Animal Welfare: an innovative approach for resilient livestock farming," aimed to present the progress of the FONTAGRO project to producers from surrounding areas, promoting an integrated vision of livestock production. 

The opening was led by Dr. Natalia Aguilar, a researcher at EEA and project leader, who introduced the “One Welfare” concept as the conceptual framework of the initiative. During her presentation, Aguilar highlighted how the interconnection between animal health and welfare, human well-being, and environmental sustainability is key to addressing current production challenges in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. 

Agricultural engineer and INTA technician Diego Montero explained how animal welfare principles are integrated and enhanced with aspects related to occupational safety, working conditions, access to services, and training, based on a systemic and holistic approach that strengthens work in the livestock sector. 

Afterwards, Dr. Paolo Sussini explained the environmental module of the project and focused on the management of natural grasslands and the strategic use of forage as a link between production, the environment, and animal welfare in beef cattle farming systems in humid subtropical regions, an approach that was part of his doctoral thesis. 

The end of the day gave way to a discussion moderated by Dr. Aguilar, where advances related to the selection of good livestock practices with a focus on animal welfare (BPG-BA) were shared, to be validated in demonstration units—chosen by local producers themselves and by participants from the different countries involved in the project.  In this context, producers raised initial concerns regarding the practical application of animal welfare principles and shared their own experiences in herd management. 

The meeting ended with a formal invitation to work collaboratively to integrate local farms into the co-innovation network promoted by FONTAGRO. 

Through this activity, EEA Colonia Benítez strengthens its connection with the territory, reaffirming that collaboration between science and local production is essential to advance toward more efficient, sustainable, and socially responsible livestock farming.