Background

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are among the greatest challenges faced by livestock farming that has become an issue of the greatest importance for consumers and policy makers. At the same time, livestock has a strong mitigation potential: “improved management practices could reduce emissions from livestock systems by about 30%”, says FAO.

Several reports have been recently published among international organisations (IPCC, FAO, DG Agri…) that may lead to decision making in the coming months with impacts on the livestock sector.

The ATF would like to draw a state of the art on GHG emissions from livestock, the role of methane, the different metrics to measure emissions and mitigation levers at various scales, inviting international organisations, research organisations, farmers, industries, NGOs and policy makers.

Aim

The symposium aims to contribute to:

• Address how research and innovation can support the livestock sector: needs in R&I to help the livestock sector to adapt to climate change and mitigate its emissions;
• Provide input to European research and innovation agendas and to public policies to secure Europe’s role as a leading global provider of safe and healthy animal-derived products;
• Support knowledge development and innovation;
• Engage a dialogue with various stakeholders;
• Foster ownership by farmers

The seminar is the follow-up of the 2nd symposium of the Animal Task Force and the EAAP Commission on Livestock Farming Systems, EAAP annual congress, Porto - 05 September 2022.

Outline general programme

9:00 : Welcome & introduction - By Frank O'Mara, ATF President

9:05 : Outcomes of the ATF-EAAP LFS Symposium, September 5th, 2022: Important messages & gaps in the discussion - By Frank O’Mara, ATF President & Michael Lee, President of the EAAP Commission on Livestock Farming Systems

9:20 : Public policies: vision policy maker - By a Member of the European Parliament

Policies and research: where do we stand?

9:40 : EU policy tools to decrease emissions from the livestock sector - By Valeria Forlin, DG Clima, Unit C3: Low Carbon Solutions (III): Land Economy & Carbon Removals

10:00 : Taking another look at methane - By Michelle Cain, Cranfield Environment Centre

10:20 : Reduction and mitigation measures for livestock - By John Roche, Chief Science Adviser at New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Director of MPI On-Farm Support Services

10:40 : Coffee break

Strategies in practice: input from the field

11:00 : Animals Genetics

11:15 : Feed additives - By Sinéad Waters, Teagasc & Livestock Research Group of the GRA

11:30 : Farming practices

11:45 : Dairy industry: use of an additive to reduce enteric methane - By Simon Bonnet, BEL Group

12:30 : PANEL DISCUSSION  - with

• John Roche, MPI
• Valérie Masson-Delmotte, IPCC (to be confirmed)

Moderation by Ana Sofia Santos & Ana Granados, ATF Vice-presidents

13:00 : Closing and lunch