The challenge facing Irish farmers.

Last week Ireland hosted two major international conferences focused on meat.

Teagasc hosted a two day international summit on “the societal role of meat” at the Ashtown research centre, which explored the place of livestock farming and meat in diet and health, society, economics, culture and a sustainable environment.

Across Dublin in the Aviva stadium, UECBV, the EU umbrella organisation for meat processors and livestock traders was hosted by Meat Industry Ireland and Bord Bia. The theme for their conference was “securing a sustainable future”.

Different events, similar themes

While the Teagasc event probably had the stronger scientific dimension, the UECBV event delved further into policy and economic prospects. In terms of conclusions, the Teagasc event produced what is potentially a very powerful “Dublin Declaration of Scientists on the societal role of livestock.”

This declaration attempts to put the importance of livestock systems in the context of needing to increase the availability of the products for an estimated 3bn people globally who have unmet nutritional needs.

This has to be done alongside the challenge presented by biodiversity, climate change, nutrient flows and animal health and welfare.

The declaration pointedly highlights that “Well-resourced individuals may be able to achieve adequate diets while heavily restricting meat, dairy and eggs,” but this approach should not be recommended for general populations.

It also refers to the historical role of livestock in development of society since the bronze age 5,000 years ago.

This theme was also reflected in the contribution to the UECBV conference by Carrie Ruxton, a consultant dietitian and health writer who put in context the negligible relative risk of meat consumption compared with other every day activities undertaken by society.

Economics and policy

While there was a robust case made for the role of meat in the diet and development of society, the economic outlook was less positive.

Rupert Claxton from Gira, an international meat and livestock consultancy, highlighted that the affordability of red meat was identified as the single greatest challenge in retaining consumer loyalty to an increasingly expensive product.

As well as cost being a barrier to consumption, there is also a challenge from increasing “flexitarian” diets.

The number of consumers that adopt vegan or vegetarian diets remains relatively small, but it is clear that many consumers are choosing to eat less meat. When they do there is an increasing inclination towards poultry because it is relatively cheap and considered a healthy meat.

CAP and food security

Michael Scannell, Deputy Director General at DG Agri told delegates that CAP reform was underway ahead of the Farm to Fork Strategy, and he was adamant that food security remained at the centre of the CAP.

He also pointed out that the EU would have a communiqué on fertiliser published on 9 November.

On the issue of Europe outsourcing emissions by introducing measures that curtail production, he referred to it now being policy for trade deal negotiations that trading partners would have similar ambitions to the EU and used the recent deal with New Zealand in June this year as an example.

This was also picked up on by Professor Thia Hennessy, Cork University Business School in her presentation on “Food Security and sustainability – friends or foe?”

While the events may have been pitched more at scientists and industry rather than farmers, the messages are also very relevant to farmers with cattle going into sheds and sheep grazing the late autumn grass.

It is very clear that objective science acknowledges the historic role of livestock protein in the evolution of society and indeed has counteracted findings of a Global Burden of Disease study that overstated the negative impact of meat on health.

While animal-based protein will be in increasing demand globally for the foreseeable future, there is less certainty on economic viability in Ireland, particularly for meat production.

Inflation pressures are forcing consumers to make choices and beef and lamb in particular are discretionary, almost luxury purchases, with poultry and pig meat offering cheaper alternatives.

Parallel to this, farmer costs are also increasing, particularly fertiliser, feed and energy. The good news is that there will be a market for the product that makes a positive contribution to human diets. The bad news is that there is little certainty about whether it will be viable for farmers to produce it.