Vet School joins research project on regenerative agriculture in Norway

The School of Veterinary Medicine is participating in a newly funded research project in collaboration with veterinary partners in Norway.

The project is being carried out with Norwegian Private Veterinary Services, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. It will examine regenerative agriculture and microbiome science, with a focus on farm animals and soil health.

Titled Mapping the microbiota in regenerative farm animals: strategies for optimal soil transplantation in Sørøya/Finnmark, the project is supported by the FORREGION-Finnmark programme. It brings together researchers from Cyprus and Norway to study microbiota in a regenerative farming setting.

The research is led by Dr Leon Cantas of Norwegian Private Veterinary Services. At the University of Nicosia School of Veterinary Medicine, the project is led by Drs Eleni Gentekaki and Daphne Mavrides. The study will take place at Gammelgården, a regenerative farm on Sørøya in northern Norway.

Using metagenomic analysis alongside traditional farming knowledge, the research will examine the role of the microbiome in soil regeneration and animal health. It will also compare findings from Norway with data from farms in Cyprus, allowing researchers to explore how different environmental conditions may affect microbiome composition and farming outcomes.

Commenting on the project, Drs Gentekaki and Mavrides said: ‘This initiative will strengthen collaboration while examining links between soil, animal, and public health within the One Health framework. It will also be of interest to compare our previous results from Cyprus with findings from this Norwegian farm’.

In parallel, fourth year DVM student Rebecca Panayi will undertake an extramural studies placement in Norway under the supervision of Dr Leon Cantas, where she will gain clinical experience at his private veterinary clinic. While there she will also be trained on hands on field work activities related to the project.