The 1st Symposium on European Beef Sustainability, organized by Provacuno and APAQ-W, took place on November 12 in Brussels, bringing together over 600 participants, both in person and online. This unprecedented event in the European Union addressed the need to face the challenges of sustainability and emissions reduction, as well as soil preservation and improvement. Progress of the Sustainable European Beef (SEUB) program, co-funded by European funds for the period 2025-2027, was presented during the day.
International experts discussed the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability in the beef sector. Javier López, director of Provacuno, highlighted the sector’s efforts to align with European goals of climate neutrality and sustainable rural development. He emphasized the importance of sharing experiences among institutions, researchers, and citizens to facilitate progress towards these objectives.
Philippe Mattart, general director of APAQ-W, emphasized the importance of European citizens recognizing the value of the production model in the continent, based on good practices that contribute to the Carbon Neutral 2050 goal. He stated that sustainability is the only viable path and that the program will provide a collaborative framework to address these challenges.
The symposium included various thematic roundtable discussions, where prominent speakers explored different aspects of sustainability. In the discussion on economic sustainability, the need for realistic policies that value producers’ efforts was emphasized. Benoît Cassart, a farmer and member of the European Parliament for Belgium, stressed that sustainability will only be possible if Europe understands the realities of the field.
Another panel addressed social sustainability, revealing the role that the meat sector can play in regional development. Interventions highlighted the importance of generational turnover and equal opportunities in the sector.
The section dedicated to environmental sustainability yielded a consensus among speakers on the feasibility of reducing emissions and improving soil conditions through clear objectives and specific solutions for each country. The need for collaboration between science and production to effectively tackle current challenges was emphasized.
The symposium concluded with a roundtable where the commitments of the European beef sector to sustainability were reaffirmed. Communication, transparency, and collaboration were highlighted as essential aspects to advance towards a sustainable production model.
Frédéric Leroy, technical director of the symposium and academic in Food Sciences and Biotechnology, closed the event emphasizing that sustainability begins by ensuring that producers can live dignified lives from their work, and concludes with active participation of society in this effort. He stressed that European beef not only serves a food function, but also plays a crucial role in preserving the territory and cultural identity.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
