'It's a great honour' - Ireland to co-host major international conference on livestock sustainability

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) in Rome, will this week host the 12th meeting of the Global Agenda on Sustainability Livestock (GASL). 

GASL is an independent agency which promotes the sustainability of the livestock sector by sharing good practices and policies across its member base globally.

Some 43 countries will be represented in Dublin this week, making this truly an international event.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue will address the meeting on Tuesday (October 4) and he outlined his delight that Ireland was hosting this important meeting.

“It is a great honour for Ireland to host this important international meeting. It is a great opportunity for Ireland to showcase the sustainability credentials of the Irish livestock sector with delegates all over the world. The Food Vision 2030 process has sustainability at its heart, so this is a very opportune moment to engage with an international audience.”

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The event which takes place from Monday to Friday will address several key themes throughout the week, including sessions focused on the youth and regional meetings which will focus on more specific local actions towards more sustainable livestock systems.

In particular, the nutritional importance of animal sourced protein will be a key theme of the meeting.

Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon TD will address the forum by outlining how research and innovation can underpin sustainability improvements in global livestock production.

He stated: “The role of research and innovation to the development and uptake of novel technologies and new practices for the livestock sector, as well as in providing the necessary evidence to inform policy in this area, are critical in achieving a climate-neutral food system by 2050.

“International collaboration and partnerships, such as the Global Research Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, are essential in order to make the urgent scientific breakthroughs necessary to address the many common challenges we face.”

Delegates will also have a chance to hear first-hand about some of the innovations happening on Irish farms by visiting Teagasc Grange, a dairy farm in Co. Meath, and the Lands at Dowth, owned by Devenish Nutrition

Minister McConalogue concluded:

“I thank all who have made this event possible, including my own agencies Teagasc and Bord Bia, and also Devenish Nutrition, who have worked closely with the Department and the FAO over recent weeks. I wish delegates a fantastic week and I look forward to meeting them tomorrow.”