On Thursday 8 May, the European Commission announced the launch of a work stream on the future of the livestock sector in Europe, at the ‘Vision for Agriculture and Food’ conference.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, said that Thursday’s discussion was “the first one of a series that we will have with the stakeholders and relevant authorities to build a common future for our livestock sector” (see EUROPE 13636/20).
The livestock sector in the EU requires a long-term vision that respects the diversity of production methods. This is a sector where innovation can bring tangible benefits, added the Commissioner. The aim of this work stream is to make the sector more competitive, resilient and sustainable, taking into account different situations and territories.
In some areas, livestock farming is the best option for exploiting land such as grassland or hilly terrain.
Mr Hansen pointed out that over the last ten years, the number of livestock farms has fallen on average in the European Union. For him, this trend needs to be halted or even reversed.
The Farm Europe think tank welcomed the announcement of the launch of this work stream dedicated to livestock farming. According to Farm Europe, the European Union must turn the page on five years of preconceived ideas and an erroneous, pessimistic and negative view of livestock farming. “In the face of nutritional, economic, climatic and environmental challenges, ‘Made in Europe’ livestock farming is an opportunity, both for our continent and for the planet”, said the think tank.
Farm Europe representative Ettore Prandini defended an ambitious strategy for the EU livestock sector at the ‘Vision for Agriculture’ conference. In particular, he called for a comprehensive toolbox to consolidate the gains made, economic support to better protect the sector and help it bounce back, and targeted investment to meet the challenges. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)