Dr. vet. Roberto Espinola

New geneticist joins H&N International Headquarters

Continuously rising global market demands for the most adaptable, reliable and most efficient layer birds keep propelling H&N International’s growth: Our genetics department welcomes Roberto Emilio Espinola Alfonso to our team.

Reporting to Dr. David Cavero, Roberto will be involved in global research projects, and he will also be supporting the ongoing development and optimization of the breeding program that gives distributors and egg producers around the world the best birds adapted to their individual market needs.

Born in Asunción, Paraguay, Roberto’s fascination with animal health began way back in his early childhood. After attaining a bachelor’s degree in veterinary sciences at the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion in 2019, Roberto went straight on to also get his European Master’s in Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in 2022.

Despite his young age, Roberto has already acquired extensive work and travel experience, and he speaks four languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese and Guarani—fluently! And, fast learner as he is, he has already started tackling German as well.

His knowledge covers field experience as well as research work. EXPO, the largest Paraguayan livestock exhibition, organized by the Paraguayan Rural Association, had him work with livestock genetics. Afterwards, he became a farm manager at Cabaña La Tranquera, overseeing the animals’ handling and support for daily farm tasks.

He participated in the ELLS Summer School “Contribution of animal breeding to global food security” at BOKU in Vienna, Austria, in 2021, and in an International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth at Herrsching am Ammersee, in Germany, 2017.

With such a high level of activity, how does a prolific geneticist recharge? By going out for a run, keeping flexible with yoga, and going swimming. And also quality time with family and friends—and planning his next trips again.

Four questions for Dr. Robert Espinola

What fascinates you about poultry?

“It’s the magnitude of the industry’s contribution to quality food for the world. I think poultry is one of the most sustainable ways of animal breeding, and it’s in line with many SDGs, such as SDG2 ‘Zero hunger’ and SDG12 ‘Responsible consumption and production’.”

What makes poultry special in terms of genetics?

“I like the short generation interval compared to other livestock species, where the genetic improvement can be seen in a very short time.”

What can genetics accomplish in future?

There are traits that have become more relevant or are of greater interest such as aggressive behavior, feather pecking, and even osteoporosis, and I am fascinated at how the estimation of genetic parameters can help select birds with desired features.

“What remains crucial is to “unbox” and develop the genetic potential in the correct way, with all the proper procedures, maintenance and management tasks.”

How can distributors and farmers make sure they do that?

H&N International offers help in all sorts of ways, one way being the farming assistance app KAI for rearing and production.

People of my generation grew up with digital applications everywhere, so for me as a geneticist it’s kind of natural to see an industry-leading app like KAI as a supporting extension to our genetics. KAI really helps farmers to manage the birds right and be sure to get the full benefit they can provide.