COTANCE meets EVP Timmermans with its colleagues of the European Livestock Voice
On 7 December COTANCE joined sector associations from European Livestock Voice in inviting EVP Timmermans to visit a beef and dairy farm in the Wallonia region of Belgium.
The European Livestock Voice is the multi-stakeholder group that runs the #Meatthefacts campaign promoting facts about the livestock sector on a number of topics, from environmental footprints to animal welfare, but also on nutrition and many other aspects which are not so known by the general public or simply misinformed by antagonists to animal husbandry.
The aim of the encounter was to provide European Commission Executive Vice-President Timmermans with first-hand insight into a beef and dairy farm and in a subsequent round table give him the ELV views on 3 areas on which the European Commission is working: Animal Welfare, Greenhouse Gas emissions and Trade. It was a great opportunity for EVP Timmermans to engage in a direct and open discussion on the Green Deal objectives. It was also a first step in opening an action-oriented dialogue between the Commission EVP and EU representatives of the livestock value chain on the future developments of the Farm to Fork strategy.
With best-in-class standards of animal health and welfare and among the lowest global livestock emissions, high standards on environment, the livestock eco-system does not shy away from continuing to adapt to meet increasing demands. All representatives of the European livestock sector agree on the fact that more needs to be done to meet social, environmental, and animal welfare challenges. But no one should be left behind.
Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, COTANCE Secretary General attended on behalf of Europe’s Leather Industry.
He handed over to Mr Timmermans a black leather apron with an embroidery saying "Good Steaks - Good Leather", an expression that captures well the spirit of the hides, skins and leather sector. Mr Gonzalez-Quijano told Mr Timmermans that the livestock sector is a perfect example of the circular economy; there is no waste! He said that he was pleased to offer him a leather apron for his barbecues that evidences how tanners add value to one of the residues of the 5th Quarter. Mr Timmermans thanked COTANCE and stated that he was certainly going to wear that article, not only in open-air barbecues but even when cooking his steaks at home.
Closing the event Commission VP Timmermans said: "In our efforts to tackle the climate crisis, agriculture has to move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. Overall, the Common Agricultural Policy is there to help farmers move in the right direction. In livestock farming, the solutions must focus on reducing emissions and creating an overall sustainable industry. Because to feed 10 billion people in the future, the world will need a sustainable livestock industry."
-> Visit European Livestock voice (ELV):
European Livestock Voice is a multi-stakeholder group of like-minded partners in the livestock food chain that have decided to unite for the first time to balance the debate surrounding a sector that plays such an essential role in Europe’s rich heritage and future. The associations involved, which represent sectors ranging from animal health to feed, to breeding and animal farming through to farmers, to meat and leather, aim to inform the public about the societal value of livestock production and its contribution to global challenges, offering an alternative narrative to current debates.
• AnimalhealthEurope – European manufacturers of animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products
• Avec – European Poultry Meat Sector
• Clitravi – European Meat Processing Industry
• Copa and Cogeca – European Farmers and European Agri-cooperatives
• COTANCE – European Leather Industry
• EDA – European Dairy Association
• EFFAB – European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders
• Euro Foie Gras - European Foie Gras industry
• FEFAC - European Feed Manufacturers
• FEFANA – European Specialty Feed Ingredients Industry
• FUR EUROPE – European Fur Industry
• UECBV – European Livestock and Meat Trades