Animal welfare is set to take centre stage in agrifood policy over the coming months, as it is a major focus of the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), and a key theme of the German EU Presidency priorities.
German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner recently emphasised that animal welfare is “becoming more and more important for consumers,” outlining commitments for a standardised animal welfare label across Europe.
Meanwhile, the F2F stipulates a 50% reduction in the sale of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 2030.
But as Europe is shaping its strategies to deliver on the EU Green Deal’s goals, questions are arising as to what this drive to improve the sustainability of livestock holds for the future of the sector.
In this Event Report, EURACTIV explores the debate on what sustainability in the sector should look like in the EU and the ways in which it can be achieved.
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Targets for anti-microbials must allow for ‘massive’ variation within livestock sector
Ambitions to lower the use of antibiotics in farming must take into account the “massive” amount of variation between member states and also between species, according to a leading livestock sustainability consultant who also highlighted the pressing need to digitalise the animal health sector.
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‘Efficiency not a dirty word’: why bigger can sometimes mean better in farming
The concept of efficiency and productivity in farming is often taken to mean poor animal welfare and sustainability, but that is not necessarily the case and more work must be done to change this perception, stakeholders highlighted at a recent event on animal welfare.
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Sustainability in livestock farming is a matter of balance
Sustainability is a balancing act. This goes for every sector, but none more so than the livestock sector, one of Europe’s key focus areas in the EU Green Deal. Roxane Feller is the Secretary-General of AnimalhealthEurope. Repeating comments …