Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef conference kicks off in Uruguay

A GLOBAL organisation put together to improve the sustainability of beef production has begun its annual conference in Uruguay, with the aim of proving that sustainable beef is possible.

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef was founded in 2010 by a group of organisations including the World Wildlife Fund (now the Worldwide Fund for Nature) and some of the industry’s largest downstream players such as McDonalds, JBS, Cargill and Walmart.

This year’s conference is set to premiere a new movie called “World Without Cows”, which is trying to answer the question of what would happen if cattle were removed from the earth.

The conference is also set to hear from JBS chairman Jerry O’Callaghan.

Cattle Australia and Meat & Livestock Australia are both members of GRSB, along with the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework. MLA’s Jocob Betros is on the panel of speakers.

Prior to the conference, GRSP president and Canadian beef producer Bob Lowe said it was important to discuss the progress of the industry.

“Farmers and ranchers are caretakers of the land, animals, environment, people and communities around the world, and have continually adopted new and improved practices for many generations,” Mr Lowe said.

“As a rancher myself, I look forward to the opportunity to discuss the progress on global goals and opportunities with our diverse beef sustainability community that have come together through the GRSB.”

Session topics will include:

Calculating Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock and Pathways for Region-Specific Emissions Reductions

• Technology and Audits Matter – But People Make the Difference!
• Nature Positive Production: Protecting Ecosystems
• Building Better Beef Supply Chains
• Communicating Success Stories in Global Beef Sustainability
• Regional Perspective on Cattle Production
• Data & Innovation Driving Sustainability
• International Advocacy