Global
A conversation with John Deen, Ph.D.
Pork is the meat of choice in China, and the country produces half of the world’s pigs. A long-standing University of Minnesota partnership ensures the country has the expert knowledge to safely and effectively meet the demand. The Leman China Swine Conference, modeled after the U.S.-based Leman Swine Conference, is now approaching its 13th year and is the world’s largest pig farming industry conference with more than 12,000 attendees.
The relationship began more than two decades ago, when University researchers John Deen and Robert Morrison of the College of Veterinary Medicine were approached by the Chinese pork industry. At that time, China was changing rapidly with increasing urbanization and affluence, leading to more demand for pork and the need for a more efficient and robust pork industry.
“The University’s swine group is considered one of the top programs for research and education for pork production in the world,” said Deen, now an emeritus professor of Veterinary Population Medicine. “We’ve developed a lot of good ideas and methodologies, and when half the pigs in the world can benefit from that, we want to see the information and the ideas spread.”
The benefits of the relationship extend beyond China to the University and to the State of Minnesota. It opens up more opportunities for Minnesota’s farmers, with China accounting for almost 20 percent of Minnesota’s agricultural exports. It also provides opportunities for University researchers to be involved in various projects, such as pork production and biosecurity in China and throughout the region, and in emerging diseases not seen in the United States. African swine fever is an example of a disease that’s not in the U.S., but University research is aiming to understand it before it could arrive.
“We are a worldwide community of farmers and veterinarians who look after pigs, and what we do in one country affects another country. The conference and this relationship has a net positive benefit for both parties, in my experience,” said Deen. “And for myself, it's just a different way of looking at pig and pig farming to expand the imagination of what we can do.”
John Deen is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine