CONFERENCE 2025 – Utrecht, Netherlands –
14 – 16 October 2025
Book of abstracts
Local organizing commitee
- Wilma Steeneveld, Utrecht University, the Netherlands (chair)
- Mariska van der Voort, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands (chair scientific committee)
- Ron Bergevoet, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
- Ingrid Dahmen, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Scientific commitee
- Dr Mariska van der Voort, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands (chair)
- Prof Dr Henk Hogeveen, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
- Dr Monique Mourits, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
- Dr Marcel van Asseldonk, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
- Dr Jaap Sok, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
- Drs Yteke Elte, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- Dr Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, FAO
- Dr Ahmed Ferchiou, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, France
- Dr Dikky Indrawan, IPB University, Indonesia
- Prof Dustin Pendell, Kansas State University, USA
- Dr Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas, USA
Keynote spreaker
Mrs. Nancy De Briyne
Nancy De Briyne studied veterinary medicine in Ghent (Belgium), graduating in 1996. After working as a veterinary practitioner in Belgium and the UK, she works since 2000 for the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) being currently Executive Director of the FVE. Her overall role within FVE is to follow the strategy, oversee operations, and ensure the organization’s goals and objectives are achieved. More specifically, she follows closely all dossiers in relation to veterinary medicines, animal health, AMR, animal welfare, and the status and role of the veterinary profession.
She has been a member of the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency representing the veterinary profession for 6 years [2016-2022].
She is a diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural medicine, subspecialty Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, and is a member of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare and many other European committees on animal health, welfare and public health
Prof. dr. Brecht Devleesschauwer
Brecht Devleesschauwer is a senior epidemiologist at Sciensano and head of the Service Health information. He is also appointed as visiting professor in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis at Ghent University(link is external). He conducts policy-driven public health research in the domain of composite measures of population health and health inequalities.
As a member of the World Health Organization Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (WHO/FERG(link is external), he contributes to the estimation of the global burden of foodborne disease. Currently, he is coordinating the Belgian National Burden of Disease Study, and chairing the European Burden of Disease Network(link is external). Brecht holds PhD degrees in Public Health and Veterinary Sciences, and MSc degrees in Biostatistics and Veterinary Medicine.
Prof. dr. Helena Hansson
Helena Hansson is professor of agricultural and food economics since 2018. She is also programme director of Mistra Food Futures, and between 2019-2025 she was a vice-dean at the faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, with a focus on multi- and interdisciplinary research
Helena’s research background is in agricultural and food economics. She has so far focused on farmer uptake of sustainable agricultural practices, farm management, farmer decision-making and the economics of certain strategic choices, and production economic analyses related to the efficiency of farm production.
Recently, her work has also been oriented towards the overall sustainability of the food system, including how food system sustainability can be assessed. She has worked extensively with interdisciplinary approaches where behavioural models have been used to explain decision-making, or to explain economic behaviour and economic performance, and where knowledge from the natural sciences is instrumental in the analyses.
CONFERENCE 2024 – Syndey, Australia
11 – 15 November 2024
Organised within the 17th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE)
CONFERENCE 2023 – Helsinki, Finland
13th – 15th June 2023
Understanding stakeholder behaviour and socio-economic implications of practices and policies of animal health
Local organising and scientific committee
- Jarkko Niemi, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
- Henk Hogeveen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
- Erwin Wauters, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Belgium
- Wilma Steeneveld, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
- Katja Schulz, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany
- Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas, USA
- Timo Sipiläinen, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Minna Väre, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
- Anna Stygar, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Invited speakers
- Jens Rommel, Associate Professor at Decision-making and Managerial Behavior research group, Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
- Beth Clark, Lecturer in Food Marketing at School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Arnaud Rault, Researcher focussing on animal health economics at Oniris, BIOEPAR (Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis of Animal Health unit), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France
- Taina Aaltonen, Deputy Director General at Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland, Chief Veterinary officer of Finland and delegate of Finland to the World Organisation for Animal Health
- Ina Toppari, Executive manager at Animal Health ETT r.a., Finland.
CONFERENCE 2022 – Halifax, CanaDA
CONFERENCE 2022 – Halifax, CanaDA
Organised within the 16th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Keynote presentations
The programme included keynote presentations from leading thinkers in economics and social sciences, namely:
- Dr Barbara Haesler, Senior Lecturer in Agrihealth, Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health, The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK (joint session ICAHS-ISESSAH)
- Dr Amy Hagerman, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, USA
- Dr Luiza Toma, Senior Economist, Policy, Innovation and Behavioural Change, Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UK
Local organisation committee
From University of Copenhagen (UCPH):
- Liza Rosenbaum Nielsen (IVH-UCPH, leader of the local organisation committee)
- Hans Houe (IVH-UCPH)
- Tariq Halasa (IVH-UCPH)
- Tove Christensen (IFRO-UCPH)
- Sigrid Denver (IFRO-UCPH)
Scientific committee
- Bouda Vosough Ahmadi (lead) FAO
- Tove Christensen (deputy lead) University of Copenhagen
- Kamina Jonhson (deputy lead) USDA
- Sigrid Denver (member) University of Copenhagen
- Erwin Wauters (member) ILVO
- Jarkko Niemi (member) Luke
- Wilma Steenveld (member) Utrecht University
- Jaap Sok (member) Wageningen University and Research
- Pablo Alarcon (member) Royal Veterinary College
- Mette Vaarst (member) Aarhus University
CONFERENCE 2019 – IPB University, Indonesia
17-18 October 2019
Keynote presentations
With approximately 120 participants, mainly from South East Asia, the conference was very successful. Proceedings of the conference will become on-line soon. For more details please see the conference website. The proceedings of the first ISESSAH South East Asia meeting can be found here.
Youtube video
For an impression, please see this youtube video that the local organizing committee created
CONFERENCE 2019 – Atlanta, USA
20th and 23th July 2019
Keynote presentations
The conference welcomed 60 participants, 12 oral presentations, 20 flash talk presentations, many posters and 3 keynote speakers :
- Carl Johan Lagerkvist, Department Head and Professor of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences : economic values and farmer behavioral change: Inertia, path dependence and choices for farm animal health
- Mark Caudell, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United nations, Kenya : in the absence of developed infrastructure, transmission factors best predict carriage of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in people and their animals
- Megin Nichols, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA : Spillover; Uncovering animal disease outbreaks through human enteric disease surveillance
- Glynn Tonsor, Professor Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University : a deeper look at biosecurity economics
We would again like to thank all the participants and our sponsors for ISESSAH 2019.
CONFERENCE 2018 – Montpellier, France
14 and 15 May 2018
Keynote presentations
The ISESSAH 2018 provided a forum to meet colleagues and leading thinkers in the field to enhance the use of economics in animal health education, research and policy making internationally.
ISESSAH 2018 was co-organised by the French Institute for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Toulouse National Veterinary School (ENVT) and National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA) on behalf of the ISESSAH. The combination of ISESSAH 2018 and INNOVSUR forum provided a specific opportunity for greater North-South interactions and emphasize on environmental and agricultural health economic issues.
Scientific committee
The conference welcomed 140 participants, 15 oral presentations, 25 flash talk presentations, many posters and 4 keynote speakers :
- Erik Gómez-Baggethun, Professor in Environmental Governance, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU, Norway);
- Michael Dicks, Professor in Animal Health Economics, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA, USA) ;
- Nicolas Fortané, Lecturer in Sociology applied to Animal Health (INRA, France) ;
- Rob Christley, Professor in Epidemiology and Population Health (University of Liverpool, UK)
ERIAH Workshop ‘From economic assessment to policy making’
On Tuesday May 15 in the afternoon directly after the ISESSAH 2018 conference, the Economic Reasoning for Improved Animal Health (ERIAH) is organizing a workshop. ERIAH is a research network funded by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) since 2016. It aims at promoting economics applied to animal health within health specialists (e.g. biologists, epidemiologists…) and economists, by facilitating common language and improving mutual understanding. The final goal is to foster a transdisciplinary research approach. It involves scientists, professionals, industrials, syndical organisations and policy makers.
This ERIAH workshop will focus on how to translate economic assessments outputs into practical decision-making. The workshop will be organised as one main keynote and small working groups.
For more details please see the conference website.
Proceedings are available here.
The Frontiers special edition is on progress.
We would like to thank all the participants and our sponsors for ISESSAH 2018.
Conference 2017 (inaugural meeting) – Aviemore, Scotland
27th and 28th of March 2017
Keynote presentations
ISESSAH has hold its inaugural meeting in collaboration with the annual meeting of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (SVEPM).
The aim of the meeting was to provide a forum to meet colleagues and leading thinkers in the field of economics in animal health education, research and policy making internationally.
The ISESSAH first meeting gathered over 200 participants with delegates from countries all over the word. All got the change to present the work in either a oral presentation, flash talk, or poster presentations. The broad theme of the presentation were:
- Where do we come from – what has been critical progress in the use of economics and social sciences of animal health in past years?
- Where do we stand now – how are economics and social sciences currently being used for animal health decision-making?
- Where should we go – what will be the future challenges for economics and social sciences to improve animal health?
Scientific committee
These themes were introduced by leading thinkers in economics and social sciences, namely:
- Dr Karin Schwabenbauer, Chief Veterinary Officer, Germany
- Prof. Tim Carpenter, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, Massey University, New Zealand
- Dr Gareth Enticott, Senior Lecturer in Social Research, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
Proceedings are available here.
The Frontiers special edition for the meeting gathers 11 peer-review papers.