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CIHEAM Zaragoza participates in the second session of the FAO COAG Livestock Sub-Committee in Rome
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > CIHEAM Zaragoza participates in the second session of the FAO COAG Livestock Sub-Committee in Rome
  • A delegation from CIHEAM Zaragoza attended the second session of the FAO COAG Livestock Sub-Committee, held from 16 to 18 July 2024 at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
  • At the meeting, CIHEAM Zaragoza spoke about training and knowledge transfer as tools for the transformation of sustainable livestock systems in the Mediterranean.

CIHEAM Zaragoza participated as an observer in the Second Session of the FAO COAG Livestock Sub-Committee, held between 16 and 18 July 2024 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the agenda of the multi-year work programme of the Livestock Sub-Committee for the period 2022-2025. The discussion focused on three key thematic areas: i) sustainable livestock systems to ensure food security, nutrition and inclusive economic growth; ii) animal, public and environmental health under the "One Health" approach; and iii) natural resource use, climate change and biodiversity.

The COAG Livestock Sub-Committee

The FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) established the Sub-Committee on Livestock at its 27th Session in October 2020 with the mandate to discuss and build consensus on livestock-related issues and priorities, and to advise COAG and, through it, the FAO Council and Conference, on technical and policy programmes and activities needed to enhance the contribution of livestock, especially in relation to poverty alleviation, food security and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods and the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda. As part of its mandate, the sub-committee prepares a multi-year programme for its work, which is submitted to the Committee on Agriculture for consideration and approval. This multi-year programme of work presents the main livestock-related issues and priorities to be considered by the sub-committee during the period 2022-25. It is an essential tool for planning the future work and meetings of the sub-committee.

CIHEAM Zaragoza's livestock-related initiatives

CIHEAM Zaragoza's participation was specially highlighted during the partners event on 18 July, where the importance of training and knowledge transfer as crucial tools for the sustainable transformation of livestock systems in the Mediterranean was underlined.

CIHEAM Zaragoza's cooperative model for knowledge transfer is essential to share and disseminate scientific information and create connections for future professional training programmes and projects. In this sense, CIHEAM Zaragoza remains committed to training and knowledge transfer, addressing the challenges of the future to achieve sustainable livestock production in the Mediterranean. To this end, it is working on strategic issues such as sustainable livestock production (resilience to heat stress, animal welfare and one health), public health challenges (antimicrobial resistance, biosecurity and rapid response to zoonotic diseases) or climate change and biodiversity (mitigation of greenhouse gases and promotion of agrosilvopastoral systems).

This event not only allowed CIHEAM Zaragoza to share its work and insights in the field of sustainable livestock farming, but also served to strengthen the cooperation between CIHEAM Zaragoza and the FAO, opening new avenues for the joint organisation of activities aimed at promoting sustainability and resilience in livestock systems.