CITA participates in European seminar on the future of livestock systems
The Research and Technology Center for Agri-Food Development of Aragon (CITA) collaborated in organizing the 15th Seminar of the Animal Task Force (ATF), held in Brussels. The meeting, titled «Livestock Production Systems for the Next Generation: Can We Imagine the Future?», brought together scientists, representatives of European institutions, sector stakeholders, and university students to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing European livestock systems.
Isabel Casasús, a researcher in the Animal Science department at CITA, participated in the seminar in her role as vice president of the ATF, a European public-private platform that connects researchers, producers, industry, and other stakeholders in the livestock chain. The seminar had approximately one hundred in-person participants and provided online access.
The discussions focused on the livestock sector’s adaptation to ecological transitions, new social demands, and pressure on natural resources. The fundamental role of livestock in food security and the opportunities linked to technological innovation and flexible adaptations to climate change scenarios were underscored. Elisabeth Werner, Director General of Agriculture at the European Commission, highlighted the need for simultaneous approaches to agroecology and sustainable intensification. Additionally, the priorities of the FAO Global Action Plan for livestock were presented, focusing on food security, public and animal health, sustainability of natural resources, and biodiversity protection.
Isabel Casasús summarized strategies for transitioning to sustainable livestock systems, prioritizing resource use efficiency, circularity in production systems, and diversity of models adapted to territorial characteristics. The seminar incorporated perspectives from rural youth and university students, who reflected on generational turnover, work-life balance, social perceptions of agricultural professions, and the integration of innovation and ethics in the design of production systems.
The seminar concluded with a consensus that livestock will continue to play an essential role in sustainable diets of the future, provided it progresses towards models based on continuous improvement, circularity, and efficiency, working complementarily with plant production and integrating the views of both the sector and society.
