International Meat Secretariat applauds reaffirmation of livestock's critical role in sustainable food systems

PARIS, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IMS today (Tuesday) welcomed a new report issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that reaffirms livestock's critical role in healthy diets and sustainable food systems and will make significant contributions to global understanding of the benefits of meat production and consumption.

The FAO report ("Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes") concludes that, within appropriate dietary patterns, meat and other food produced from land-based animals can make vital contributions to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals' nutrition targets, including to reduce stunting, wasting and overweight among children; improve birth weight; reduce anemia in women of reproductive age; and reduce obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adults.

International Meat Secretariat (IMS) President Guillaume Roué applauded the report, commenting:

"FAO's conclusions reaffirm that meat plays an essential role in positive health outcomes and point to the urgent need for further research on specific populations' nutrient needs, as well as the need to accelerate adoption of climate-smart livestock production.

The highest standard evidence, including FAO's analysis, must inform global and country-level recommendations on meat production and consumption, in order to harness meat's benefits for human health and the environment."

The report is the first in a series mandated by the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) which directed in 2020 that FAO produce a "comprehensive, science and evidence-based global assessment of the contribution of livestock to food security, sustainable agrifood systems, nutrition and healthy diets."

The FAO report is available here.

About the International Meat Secretariat (IMS): IMS represents the global meat and livestock sector as a vital motor of growth and prosperity to meet the future demands for sustainable, high-quality, nutritious and safe animal protein. The IMS is a non-profit organization that brings together livestock producer associations, national and regional meat associations, meat exporter associations, meat processing companies, government, and corporate partners from around the world representing more than 75% of the global production of cattle, pig, and sheep meat. To learn more, visit https://www.meat-ims.org/home/.