From 17 to 21 November 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) organized the second Reduce the Need for Antimicrobials on Farms for Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation (RENOFARM) training workshop at NAU in Nanjing, China.  

The training contributes to one of the RENOFARM targets: training of at least 50 percent of animal and plant health service providers and other relevant experts in areas relevant to reducing the need for antimicrobials, in support of sustainable agrifood systems transformation initiative. 

Launched by FAO in April 2024, RENOFARM is an action-oriented, country-focused, and country-led initiative responding to the global agrifood systems transformation agenda. The initiative engages the entire production chain, from farm to fork, and strengthens partnerships across sectors, including public-private collaboration. 

RENOFARM has been highlighted in both a United Nations General Assembly Resolution and an FAO Conference Resolution as a key approach to achieving the global target of significantly reducing global antimicrobial use in agrifood systems by 2030. 

The five-day training brought together veterinary officials from 14 countries and organizations, alongside experts from leading Chinese research institutes and universities to strengthen collaboration on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) governance and sustainable livestock transformation. 

The programme focused on reducing antimicrobial use at farm level, improving animal health management, and enhancing technical capacity, with the overarching objective of supporting the scale-up of country-level RENOFARM roadmaps. 

At the opening ceremony, NAU Vice President ZHU Yan warmly welcomed participants and FAO representatives, emphasizing the strong foundation of FAO–NAU cooperation and the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two institutions in advancing AMR governance and capacity building. 

FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Animal Production and Health Division, Thanawat Tiensin, delivered a video message commending NAU’s technical expertise and organizational capacity in hosting the training, as well as the strong commitment demonstrated by participating countries in addressing AMR. 

The programme covered key topics including prudent antimicrobial use, the One Health approach, livestock and dairy health management, biosecurity, herbal alternatives, diagnostic data analysis, farm management optimization, and AMR surveillance. Over five days, participants took part in more than 20 sessions, combining lectures, technical discussions, practical exercises, and interactive exchanges led by FAO technical officers, international professors, and industry experts. 

A field visit to Jiangsu Lihua Food Group enabled participants to apply the draft RENOFARM 5G Guide on the ground, further strengthening their hands-on skills for AMR mitigation at farm level. 

Building on the success of the first RENOFARM training held at NAU, this year’s programme introduced significant improvements based on participant feedback, including a stronger focus on practical application, interactive learning, case studies, and cross-country collaboration. 

Participants expressed a strong commitment to applying the good practices and innovative approaches gained during the training in their home countries and showed keen interest in initiating or advancing the development of country RENOFARM roadmaps.