The World Buffalo Congress is returning to Italy after nearly two decades, with Sorrento set to host the international gathering from October 28 to 30. The event will bring together researchers, veterinarians, farmers, technicians, companies and institutions from more than 20 countries, making it one of the most significant global meetings for the buffalo sector.
The congress is organized by the University of Naples Federico II through its Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO and the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy. Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has been invited to close the proceedings on the morning of October 30.
The scientific scale of the event is reflected in the numbers. A total of 283 abstracts have been submitted from more than 20 countries. Italy leads with 82 contributions, accounting for 28.5 percent of the total, ahead of India with 40 abstracts and Pakistan with 32. Thailand, Brazil, the Philippines and China follow. Organizers note that Italy's leadership is particularly significant because the country's buffalo population represents only a limited share of the global total, suggesting that its prominence rests on the quality of research and its ability to transfer knowledge and innovation to the production chain.
Of 181 oral communications initially considered, 103 studies will be presented orally while 163 will be displayed as posters. Genetics is the most represented area with 50 abstracts, followed by reproduction with 48 contributions and animal health and welfare with 46. Overall, 119 contributions, more than 40 percent of the congress, concern technological innovation, genetic improvement and sustainability.
The congress will serve as an observatory on the transformations affecting buffalo farming. Genetics and genomics now allow researchers to identify markers linked to fertility, milk quality, feed efficiency, disease resistance and the ability to adapt to environmental stress. At the same time, Precision Livestock Farming is introducing tools such as wearable sensors, ruminal boluses, artificial vision systems, artificial intelligence algorithms and predictive systems capable of monitoring animal conditions in real time and supporting farmers' decisions.
Sustainability has become a cross-cutting element of the research, from studies on feed efficiency to reducing environmental impact, from valorizing by-products of the dairy chain to circular economy models, and from research on the functional and nutraceutical properties of buffalo milk.
Giuseppe Campanile, professor of special animal husbandry at the University of Naples Federico II and president of the International Buffalo Federation, said the congress will be a moment of exchange between the international scientific, technical and entrepreneurial communities on the main themes concerning the development of buffalo farming worldwide. He described the buffalo as not only a resource but also culture, work and identity for many areas of the planet, and said the animal represents an extraordinary opportunity for the future, particularly given the environmental and climate challenges affecting the planet. Climate change, growing demand for high-quality food and new consumer needs should drive the growth of a species that has always provided energy and protein for developing countries and today offers substances that play a role in preventing major chronic-degenerative diseases in humans, he said.
Domenico Raimondo, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, said the return of the congress to Italy represents important recognition for the entire national buffalo system. He expressed pride that the consortium is a protagonist in this path alongside the University Federico II and the Zooprophylactic Institute, adding that the strength of the supply chain comes from the meeting of territory, skills and research.
Globally, more than 220 million buffaloes are estimated to exist, concentrated mainly in Asia but increasingly present in Europe and the Americas. The buffalo is not only a resource for milk and meat production but also an economic and social asset for millions of farmers and a supply chain increasingly oriented toward innovation, sustainability and the valorization of quality production.