Top items for discussion were avian influenza and global standards, particularly those related to housing of laying hens and how global standards directly impact egg businesses.

Dr Matthew Stone, Deputy Director General of International Standards and Science at OIE urged the group to encourage public private cooperation at national levels, to think forward about the future risks to the egg industry sector, using international standards in a proactive manner; to implement effective risk management in relation to biosecurity, and of course animal welfare.

The IEC Young Egg Leaders Programme is a two year programme taking a small number of established young egg leaders from around the world who have important and developing roles within their respective businesses. It aims to provide them with an enhanced knowledge of the international egg industry, and develop their positioning and global network as leaders who are and will be responsible for driving the egg industry forward.

The 2017/2018 Young Egg Leaders Group consists of:

• Richard Crawford - Operations Manager, Ready Egg Products Ltd, N. Ireland
• Gaura Dubey - Director, Phoenix Group, India
• Hamed Masoumi - Business Development, Telavang, Iran
• Bertrand Domet - Director, Ferme Du Pre, France
• Jonathan Griffiths - Oaklands Farm Eggs, UK
• Joey Smallwood, CEO, Smallwood Group, Canada
• Lisa Henning-Beohm, Director Communications, Henning Companies, USA
• Juan Pablo Mendez - B2B & Traditional Market Director, Santa Reyes SAS, Colombia

For further information on the YEL programme, please click here.