Livestock and meat will remain a long-term focus for EU agri-food

Meat and livestock is part of the European Commission’s long-term agri-food future.

(Image: Getty Images)

European Union plans show the bloc will continue to have livestock and meat production as a key part of its agri-food strategyLivestock and meat forms a firm part of the European Commission’s long-awaited Vision for Agriculture and Food strategy.

Along with other key promises and focus areas, including creating a stronger and more competitive EU agri-food industry, the Vision document sets livestock – and therefore meat production – as an essential part of the agricultural economy.

“The EU livestock sector is indispensable to the overall agricultural landscape,” says Birthe Steenberg, secretary general of Europe’s poultry trade body, AVEC.

“We need policies that support our farmers and food producers, not ones that create additional burdens or expose them to unfair competition,” adds Steenberg.

Europe’s livestock sector ‘vulnerable’It is hoped the new Vision strategy will be a simplified alternative to the current agricultural legislative framework, and incentivise innovation and sustainability.

The Vision report labels the EU’s livestock sector as “particularly vulnerable” to different shocks and global competition.

Its high standards of animal welfare and efforts towards improving them are not “reciprocated globally”, which can put farmers and food makers in the bloc at a disadvantage on the international market.

“Such standards also come at a cost that the market does not always reward,” read the report. “Livestock is and will remain an essential part of EU agriculture, competitiveness and cohesion.”

Though livestock does form part of the European Commission’s future strategy, sustainability is specified.

The future of livestock and meat productionIt goes on to highlight there is no one-size-fits-all approach to livestock’s long-term, sustainable future in the EU.

But targeted, territorial solutions for the sector’s competitiveness and sustainability could be rolled out.

“A powerful drive could be given by designing conducive conditions for the development of an ‘excellence livestock production chain’,” the report read.

To develop the future of livestock and Europe’s meat industry, a ‘workstream on livestock’ would be launched. This would develop what the report calls “policy pathways”.

These pathways would aim to diagnose the sector’s challenges; propose tools and solutions to fix them; seek new ways to address environmental footprints; “foster” investments in sector-specific technology and innovation; and enhance sustainable production methods.