SCIENTISTS behind the Dublin Declaration have issued their second call to action, asking for policy makers to recognise the complexity of livestock systems and steer clear of hubris, presumptuousness, and dogma.
The Denver call to action is the second meeting of a group of scientists who came together in Ireland in 2022 to raise concerns about governments and other scientists taking an ideological bias against red meat and ignoring crucial evidence in the meantime. The declaration has been signed by more than 1200 scientists since it was made.
This week, meat industry leaders from across the world have come together in Denver, United States, to discuss the next step in the process. More than 20 delegates from Australia are among the crowd including representatives from Cattle Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, Sheep Producers Australia, Australian Lot Feeders’ Association and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation.
While plenty of evidence backing the nutritional and environmental case for red meat production was presented, many in the crowd spoke about the need for the industry to better communicate that evidence.
Fitting in with the conference theme, the discussions were held at Colorado State University’s SPUR centre, which has been set up to communicate the agricultural industry to people from urban backgrounds.
In opening the conference, CSU professor Keith Belk said the Dublin Declaration had achieved a lot and it was time for the group to take the next step.
“For the sake of academic freedom and for the sake of all of the people that do research on behalf of the livestock industries, the continuation of this effort is important,” Dr Belk said.
“We have to position ourselves in a way that we are not targeted in the future for doing the research that helps this industry get better.”
The conference will start its second day tomorrow, with discussions about how the movement can cut through to people making decisions.
“We need for policy makers to use evidence-based decision making and the only way we are going to do that, in our belief, is if we begin to actively make sure we are communicating with the people who know about the evidence,” Dr Belk said
“I think all of you would agree that we are facing global issues at the current time and even difficult tactics that are being used against – sophisticated, complicated and well-funded tactics.
“This is the time to act on this.”
- Beef Central will have more from the conference in the coming days
Australian soil carbon service provider and agricultural consultant Terry McCosker on a panel discussion with Texas Cattle Feeders Association president and CEO Ben Weinheimer (left) and Australian scientist and Denver organiser Rod Polkinghorne
Swiss Scientist Peer Ederer presenting to the Denver conference.
Dr Pablo Manzano
Dr Frederic Leroy
This post was originally published on here
