Ana Isabel Roca Fernández: «The sustainability of the livestock sector depends on science, digitization, and a commitment to the environment»

Professor and researcher Ana Isabel Roca is one of the leading voices in sustainable animal production and in reducing the environmental footprint of Galician livestock farming. From the Campus Terra of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), she combines teaching with intensive research aimed at improving the feed efficiency of dairy cattle, seeking strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions and increase the sustainability of agricultural and livestock systems, always with an eye on the Sustainable Development Goals and the fight against climate change.

A strong international focus has marked her professional career. She trained and worked at leading institutions in Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States, enabling her to integrate new methodologies and innovative approaches into her research.

She acknowledges that these years abroad were decisive both scientifically and personally, inspiring her to pursue new lines of work on animal feed, greenhouse gas emission mitigation, and the use of alternative resources such as seaweed.

In the interview, Ana Isabel Roca discusses the relevance of sustainable milk production systems, the most promising strategies for reducing emissions in livestock farming, and the essential role universities and research centers must play in the transition to a more resilient agricultural model. She also reflects on the importance of motivating students, disseminating science, and committing to the digitization of farms as the way forward for the sector.

-Your research career has a very international profile, with stays in countries such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States. What have these experiences brought you on a scientific and personal level?

-On a scientific level, my various stays abroad gave me the opportunity to work in an international environment at prestigious institutions in other countries in the field of animal production, such as Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre in Ireland, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute in the United Kingdom, Centre Inrae Bretagne-Normandie in France, Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, Dairynz in New Zealand, and the United States Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Research Service in the United States on various European and international research projects in which I had the opportunity to participate and actively collaborate.

These were multidisciplinary teams with researchers focused on different topics, addressing diverse aspects related to animal feed and dairy cattle management in other management systems, comparing the behavior of animals in intensive vs. extensive systems, and the use of feeding strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of livestock farms in order to increase their sustainability and resilience, among other lines of research in which they were working and in which I was able to learn different techniques and methodologies with which to contribute to my scientific work.

On a personal level, my stays abroad during both my predoctoral and postdoctoral training have shaped my current personality as a researcher and teacher at USC.

I consider it a real pleasure to have had the opportunity to interact with researchers/professors from different countries and to share life experiences beyond the academic and professional spheres.

I have fond memories of the places I stayed and the people I shared experiences with. What's more, some of the people I met abroad are still very much a part of my personal and professional life today. They are now colleagues in my work, close friends, and people with whom I can discuss scientific topics.

I would recommend to all students that, at some point in their lives, or several times if possible (as was my case), if they have the opportunity to study and/or work abroad, they should experience firsthand what it is like to live in another country and enrich themselves with its language, culture, and culinary traditions.

In addition to being a unique life experience for their personal and professional development, it allows them to fly solo, gain independence in their decision-making, and develop the resilience to face new challenges in the future with an open mind to what the world has to offer.

-Your doctoral thesis focused on sustainable milk production systems in humid areas. What are the main conclusions you would highlight from that research, and how relevant are they today?

-Well, although it may seem surprising, given that I defended my doctoral thesis with a European mention in 2011, I believe that the main conclusions drawn from it are still relevant today, as it advocates for the sustainability of milk production systems in humid areas of the Atlantic Arc through the optimal use of fodder (pasture, grass/corn silage, and hay) for livestock feed. This line of research is highly relevant for exploring economically profitable production models that enable livestock farms to reduce feed costs, which range from 40-60% depending on the farm.

To do this, it is necessary to incorporate different management strategies to maximize the intake of quality forage, the nutritional value of grass as the cheapest nutritional feed available for ruminants, the organoleptic quality of pasture-based milk (with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids), the benefits in terms of animal behavior and welfare that extensive systems can bring, and their environmental impact, etc. In addition to the importance of establishing an adequate forage budget adapted to each farm.

-A significant part of your work is focused on reducing methane emissions in livestock farming. What are the most promising strategies being explored in this area?

-Different feasible feeding strategies can reduce methane emissions in dairy cattle farming. Among them, some I have researched are those related to the use of plants that contain secondary metabolites (such as condensed tannins or glucosinolates) and the use of oilseeds due to their potential to reduce enteric methane production in ruminants. Genetic selection (with an estimated methane reduction potential of 11% to 26% by 2030) and the use of additives are other promising strategies for achieving this.

-You are currently co-supervising a thesis on the use of algae in animal feed. What potential do these marine resources offer in terms of sustainability and improved livestock production?

-Algae are currently being used as a raw material in concentrates for animal feed, with significant nutritional and environmental benefits due to their richness in minerals, lipids, vitamins, proteins, pementants, carbohydrates, and substances with prebiotic activity.

It should be borne in mind that Galicia is a region where livestock farming is key to its productive fabric. In addition, it is an area with a large quantity and diversity of algae, which can generate wealth in the territory due to their high protein value, providing an alternative to other external protein sources with a higher environmental footprint, such as soy.

Research conducted in other countries shows the potential of algae to reduce methane production in ruminants, due to the presence of molecules such as bromoform, among others, with red algae being the richest in this molecule.

The complex ecosystem of the rumen enables ruminants to utilize seaweed by breaking down the algae's complex polysaccharides.

Using algae in animal production, such as cattle, not only reduces carbon footprint and methane emissions but can also influence the fatty acid profile, providing healthier diets for animals.

-You teach several subjects in the Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural and Agri-Food Engineering degrees. What aspects do you consider most important when it comes to motivating students in the areas of animal production and sustainability?

-In terms of motivating students in the field of animal production and sustainability, I believe that the most important thing is to make them aware of their role as future technicians (veterinarians and engineers) who will be entering the job market in the coming years as USC graduates. Therefore, they must understand the significance of their future professional work and ensure it is consistent with the defense of a rural environment in which livestock farming is efficient, sustainable, and economically viable.

I try to convey to them the relevance of what they learn in the classroom, both theoretical and practical content, throughout their training at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering, to make them critical thinkers and proactive professionals who prioritize the defense of nature and animals, emphasizing their future contribution as an important link in society for respect for the environment, animal welfare, and food safety.

In my classrooms, I try, as time allows, to show them the reality of the Galician agricultural sector, drawing analogies and highlighting differences with what is happening in Spain and internationally, encouraging them to participate so they can freely express their opinions on the topics to be discussed. I also try to bring professionals into the classroom to present different approaches that I believe can enhance their learning.

I also try to present current situations so they can identify with what is happening in the world, and I show them videos, images, and/or figures that are as illustrative as possible, so they can understand clearly what is happening and get a sense of the situation.

To complement all this, in the subjects in which I teach practical classes, I try to propose activities that may be useful for their future professional performance and to organize visits outside the USC to learn about other farms and management systems different from those at the Gayoso Castro Farm. As far as possible, I try to bring the sector closer to the University.

-You have published numerous scientific articles in high-impact journals and, at the same time, have done remarkable work in dissemination. How do you assess the importance of bringing science closer to society?

-I consider the dissemination of my work as a researcher to be fundamental, given that we as scientists must be able to transfer what we do to society.

Without dissemination, science remains hidden from the public, accessible only to a privileged few. If we want our society to progress, researchers must be able to convey the enormous importance of disseminating all the scientific knowledge we generate in our laboratories and in our work as teachers at USC.

-Your research is framed within the Sustainable Development Goals and action against climate change. What role do you think universities and research centers can play in the transition to more resilient agricultural and livestock systems?

-Both universities and research centers are powerful tools we have at our disposal to tackle the important challenges we face in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and action against climate change, which are part of the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, the role of these institutions, not only because of their public nature but also because of their strong commitment to R&D&I and their initiatives to help achieve the goals set out, is fundamental to achieving what has been established.

Political powers must allocate funding so that universities and research centers can carry out their work in a sustainable manner, supporting long-term lines of work aligned with SDG No. 13 on climate action.

-Finally, what are you currently working on? What are the lines of research that excite you most for the coming years, and what challenges would you like to tackle from the Terra Campus?

-Currently, my research work at USC focuses on the development of different projects. I am supervising several students on their final degree projects in precision livestock farming, particularly in farm automation and the digitization of livestock farming through sensors, RFID, GPS, AI, and IoT.

This is a completely new line of research for me, and I would like to delve deeper into it in the coming years at Campus Terra, as I believe the future of the global agricultural sector —and that of Galicia in particular —will inevitably be linked to technological development. I am excited to contribute to my research at USC and, together with students interested in this topic, delve deeper.

At the same time, I will not abandon my research origins, which led me to discover the field of animal production as a predoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA), where I completed my training at the Mabegondo Agricultural Research Center (CIAM), where I learned the importance of forage management for dairy cattle feeding, and my postdoctoral research as a fellow of the I2C Plan (in Modalities A and B) of the Xunta de Galicia at the USC, where I had the privilege of delving into the search for feeding strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminants on farms.

The challenges I would like to tackle in the coming years at Campus Terra are all linked to the development of the agricultural sector in order to have a significant impact on rural Galicia and its progress.