RUMINATE launches in Thessalonikito advance climate-resilient livestock farming

Launched under Horizon Europe, the four-year project brings farmers, researchers, advisors and industry partners together to reduce methane emissions in cattle and strengthen sheep resilience to heat stress.

The RUMINATE project officially kicked off with a two-day Kick-off Meeting held on 1–2 July 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, hosted by the project coordinator, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), at the Alexander Innovation Zone.

Across two productive days, the RUMINATE consortium came together to align around a shared ambition: turning advances in genomics, nutrition, predictive modelling and digital innovation into practical solutions that help livestock systems become lower-emitting, more resilient and easier for farmers to adopt.

The meeting opened with a project overview and a deep dive into RUMINATE’s vision, followed by discussions on ethics, governance and compliance, partner introductions, and focused sessions across the project’s work streams. These exchanges set the foundations for the months ahead, from mapping farming systems and building common data frameworks to preparing trials, demonstrations and pathways towards impact.

Beyond the meeting room, partners also took part in a guided tour of Thessaloniki, including a walkthrough at CERTH premises, creating space for ideas, collaboration and the trust needed for a strong four-year journey.

RUMINATE will address two urgent climate-related challenges in ruminant farming: reducing methane emissions from cattle and improving heat-stress resilience in sheep. By combining genetic insights, nutritional strategies, environmental data and digital tools, the project will work toward solutions that are not only scientifically robust, but also cost-effective, scalable and relevant to real farm conditions.

At the heart of this work is the Future Farming Design Studio network: collaborative spaces where farmers, researchers, advisors and industry partners will co-create, test and refine solutions in real farming environments. This farmer-centred approach is designed to ensure that RUMINATE’s results are practical, understandable and ready to support everyday decision-making on farms.

Expected outputs include nutritional protocols for climate-resilient livestock, genetic marker panels, predictive models and a user-friendly Decision Support Tool to guide feeding and farm management strategies. The ambition is clear: support livestock systems that can improve environmental performance while safeguarding productivity, animal welfare and biodiversity.

The Kick-off Meeting marks the beginning of a shared journey toward livestock farming that is ready for the climate realities ahead.

Lower Emissions • Stronger Resilience • Sustainable Livestock Systems

For updates and more information, visit ruminate-project.eu.

About RUMINATE

RUMINATE aims to address two major climate-related challenges in livestock farming: reducing methane emissions from cattle and enhancing heat stress resilience in sheep. Through a multi-actor approach, the project will develop scalable and cost-effective solutions combining genomics, nutrition, predictive modelling, and digital technologies to support sustainable and climate-resilient livestock systems. Central to the project is the Future Farming Design Studio (FFDS) network, which will engage stakeholders and support the testing and validation of solutions in real farming conditions. RUMINATE will deliver nutritional protocols, genetic panels, predictive models, and a user-friendly Decision Support Tool to help farmers improve environmental performance while maintaining productivity, animal welfare, and biodiversity.

More information is available through the RUMINATE website: ruminate-project.eu