USMEF participated in “Livestock is Tackling Climate Change,” a panel discussion and press conference held this week at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) Climate Change Summit in Paris. Organized by the International Meat Secretariat (IMS), the session featured representatives of the global meat industry detailing worldwide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming.

John Brook, USMEF regional director for Europe, Russia and the Middle East, was part of the panel fielding questions from international agricultural journalists. Brook, who noted the support he received from the U.S. beef industry in preparation for the discussion, said efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of meat production dominated the give and take with reporters.

“Each speaker, representing different red meat producing countries from around the world, addressed the issues they face in the different production environments in which they operate,” said Brook. “What we learned is that the industry has come a long way in a short time, and is now in a position to provide better and better life cycle analysis of production systems across the globe.”

IMS President Guillaume Roué explained that the event was an opportunity to display the wide range of efforts that have already been undertaken by the meat industry.

“We all come from different countries, with different production systems, and we are all commercial competitors,” he said. “But it is important that we work together on key issues that affect us all, like greenhouse gas emissions, animal welfare and human health and nutrition.”