The Italian Breeders Association
(A.I.A.) was founded in Rome on August 20, 1944 with the aim of reviving the
national livestock sector devastated by World War II. It has been recognised as
an entity of public-interest by Presidential Decree n. 1051 on October 27,
1950. Through the years, A.I.A. has rapidly grown its initial structure and has
branched nationwide across the Italian territory, supporting each livestock
sector and developing a wide range of supportive services to farmers, which
have contributed to enhance the Italian animal husbandry and to make it one the
most advanced world-wide.
A.I.A.’s role is described in Article 3 of the Statute, that reads:
The association has a technical scope
whose intent is to implement all the initiatives that can usefully contribute
to ameliorate the livestock sector and to increase a more efficient
exploitation of the products derived from it.
Structure
To date A.I.A. associates the Regional breeders Associations (Ara) and Associations including Provincial and Interprovincial breeders Associations (Aipa/Apa). In addition
A.I.A. includes entities operating in the livestock sector with responsabilities
covered by the institutional purposes of the Association.
Mission
A.I.A. has been entrusted by Italian Law (L. 30/1991 and 280/1999) to carry out
controls of animal productivity for all breeds involved in animal production. A.I.A. is also responsible for performing
promotional, technical, economical and scientific activities for the breeders’
sake. The Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry subjects A.I.A. to
supervision for this institutional activity. A.I.A. therefore
carries out the following tasks resulted by laws and by its Statute:
Animal performance recording;
Herd Books and Anagraphical Registers keeping;
Technical advice to livestock farms;
On farm data management system;
National milk and genetic testing laboratories
coordination;
Any actions aimed at ensuring animal welfare and
food safety;
Promotion of
100% Italian products.
A.I.A. is nowadays a key player for the livestock sector in Italy. It
has been accredited as a privileged stakeholder of the Ministry of Agricultural
Policies, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry
of Environment, the Italian Regions, main national and international research
institutes and EU and international bodies. A.I.A. cooperates and participates in
important projects with major Italian universities, with the National Research
Centre (CNR), with institutes and experimental research Consortia. In 1987 A.I.A. has furthermore established, jointly with the Catholic University of Piacenza,
the Observatory on the Market for Dairy Products based in Cremona.
A.I.A. participates in major exhibitions and fairs and is engaged in European and
international projects and activities.
