SCAR Animal Health and Welfare CWG has published a report that analyses the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and FOOD2030 strategy, focussing on the aspects of livestock health and welfare. The SCAR AHW CWG applauds the strategies as key instruments to overcome the challenges Europe is facing to nourish a growing population and to steer it through climate change. Both strategies will help transform Europe’s ways to produce, process and consume food into more sustainable and resilient food systems.

However, the SCAR AHW CWG believes the strategies could improve their focus both on the role of livestock, as well as on health and welfare. The Working Group’s analysis emphasises:

• The role livestock production plays in providing highly nutritional food and high-value biomass.
• Its intrinsic vulnerability to pathogenic agents and the role of epidemiological pathways in particular in terms of future increased circularisation of material flows and arising (zoonotic) threats to public health and food safety.
• The delicate balance between productivity and animal welfare, under the demand of enhanced food security to feed the world.

Combatting hunger and malnutrition not only requires a mere increase in calories or kilograms of biomass but most importantly an improved quality of diets and a better supply of protein. Livestock offers an important supply of high-value protein that cannot be replaced easily. It also provides other raw materials, energy and fertiliser, renders multiple eco-system services and provides a livelihood for many.

The analysis will be presented at the upcoming SCAR plenary. You can read it in full, including important research action points, here.