To realize the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global food system needs to become more productive, inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and resilient, so that it can deliver healthy and nutritious diets for all.
The production and consumption of meat is a matter of much discussion in this regard. On the one hand, meat is an important source of protein and essential nutrients. Livestock also aids in nutrient cycling by converting low-value biomass into valuable protein and nutrients through their digestive systems, reducing waste and ensuring nutrient circulation. At the same time, meat production is faced with a number of sustainability-related challenges, including regarding its impact on emissions, water and land use. A comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted role of livestock in a sustainable and circular food system is critical for ensuring appropriately tailored policies and strategies.
Organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and held in parallel with the thirty-first session of the UNECE Specialized Section on Standardization of Meat, a subsidiary body of the UNECE Working party on Agricultural Quality Standards, the seminar discussed the role of meat and livestock in a sustainable and circular food system and the role of commercial quality standards.
Agenda of the meeting is available here: Agenda - Circular Economy Transition in UNECE region: Sustainable Meat and Livestock | UNECE
Speakers/presenters:
- Hannah van Zanten, Associate Professor at Farming Systems Ecology, Wageningen University and Research
- Peer Ederer, Founding Director, GOAL Sciences - Global Observatory on Accurate Livestock Sciences, Director Global Food and Agribusiness Network
- John Gilliland, Professor of Practice for Agriculture and Sustainability, Queens University Belfast and Environmental Advisor to the Agriculture Development Horticulture Board (AHDB) of the UK
- Frank Mitloehner, Professor, University of California Davis and director of the CLEAR Center
- Eran Raizman, Senior Animal Production Health Officer, FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
- Marg Will, CEO, Organic Systems & Solutions, Australia
- Ben Hill, Principle, Bulliac Angus, Australia
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