April 2016

International Livestock Environmental

Standards

Background

In 2006, the United Nations’

Food and Agricultural

Organization (FAO) released a

paper called: Livestock’s Long

Shadow.

In it, the authors blamed the livestock sector

for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas

emissions (GHGs).

Food and Agricultural Organization of the

United Nations

The Long Shadow report stated that ‘…livestock is one

of the most significant contributors to the most

serious environmental problems, at every scale from

local to global...’ The findings of this report suggested

that livestock should be a major policy focus for

governments when dealing with

problems related to:

• land degradation

• climate change

• air pollution

• water pollution

• water shortages, and

• loss of biodiversity.

This paper generated significant controversy and

criticism – even from within the FAO itself. A number

of groups and organizations fired back at the FAO

questioning their methodology and findings.

As a result, the FAO reviewed its data and

methodology. It later issued a statement amending some

of its numbers, including dropping the estimated

percentage of GHGs being contributed by livestock

from 18% to 14.5% (a 19% error).

(Pigs are estimated to produce about 9% of the total of livestock’s GHGs

or about 1.3% of global GHGs)

None-the-less, a number of groups, organizations,

institutions and individuals around the world have

used the report to attack the livestock industry.

This in turn sparked responses from a number of

livestock organizations and groups such as the

International Meat Secretariat (IMS) of which the

Canadian Pork Council (through CPI) is a member.

At the same time, a number of other issues were gaining more prominence internationally, including:

• Animal welfare and animal rights• Food safety and quality • Concepts like the ‘hundred mile diet’• Small scale vs ‘factory’ or industrial farming • Anti-GMO sentiment• Antimicrobial resistance, use of hormones • Vegetarianism and veganism, and the idea that

‘meat is not healthy’ (eat less meat) • Climate change• Livestock uses food that humans could be eating

All of these contributed to a growing series of concerns internationally about the raising of livestock.

This in turn evolved into an initiative

called the Global Agenda

for Action in Support

of Sustainable

Livestock Sector

Development

In 2010, at least in part due to the backlash from the

Long Shadow report, the FAO formed what was initially

called the Livestock Dialogue. There were initially

about 30 international partners including the IMS.

Later it was shortened to the Global Agenda for

Sustainable Livestock (GASL), often referred to

simply as the Global Agenda.

The IMS was a founding member of the multi-

stakeholder Global Agenda, and as active members of

the IMS, CPI - CPC was asked to contribute to the

initiative. So we been involved from the early stages.

GLOBAL AGENDAfor Sustainable Livestock

The IMS is the International Meat Secretariat founded in 1974 and headquartered in Paris.

It is a non-profit organization that includes livestock producer associations, national and regional meat associations, meat exporter associations, meat processing companies, government, and corporate partners from around the world representing over 75% of the global production of cattle, pig, and sheep meat.

Its membership includes over 100 organizations including the Canadian Pork Council.

Early on in the process, CPC asked provincial

organizations to assist with some expertise in pigs

and the environment, and we volunteered to help

out.

Since the founding meetings in 2010-11, we have

assisted and been fairly active in shaping the Global

Agenda.

The Global Agenda was divided into 3 focus areas:

1. Closing the Efficiency Gap – an initiative to help developing countries adopt more efficient methods of production and technology.

2. Restoring Value to Grasslands – dealing mainly with degraded grazing areas – mostly related to ruminants.

3. Towards Zero Discharge (originally called Waste to Worth) – dealing with manure.

We have been involved mostly in the third initiative (manure discharge and treatment), although we have also been involved in the entire process as well.

The Global Agenda organization is currently divided in the following way, now with over 130 members:

1. Public Sector - mainly governments2. Private Sector and Producers - mainly national and

international farm organizations, retail and industry groups

3. Civil Society / NGOs - a wide range of organizations, most are not livestock or agricultural groups, such as the World Wildlife Fund

4. Academia / Research5. Intergovernmental Organizations - such as the FAO

The Global Agenda is led by a ‘Guiding Group’ of about 30 members drawn from the 5 sectors listed above. The group is currently coordinated by the FAO. IMS is on the Guiding Group. CPC/I is on the Private Sector-Producers Group (#2).

The Global Agenda is intended to operate on a ‘knowledge-based, open, consensual basis, with mutual respect and built on voluntary stakeholder involvement.’

However, its main objectives to date are, in the livestock sector, to:

1. Increase efficiency of resource use: land, water and nutrients,

2. Enhance livelihoods and human well being,3. Protect resources,4. Increase resilience,5. Improve governance, and6. promoting continuous improvement and practice

change.

The main concrete accomplishments of the Global Agenda so far have been:

• The establishment of a virtual Manure Knowledge Kiosk (paid for by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition) – the Kiosk currently houses over 23,000 on-line research publications related to manure. It also publishes and on-line newsletter.

• A couple of publications including one called Towards Sustainable Livestock.

• The Global Agenda was also involved in the set up of the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP).

What has our involvement been in the Global

Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL)?

• We have attended some of the meetings and have influenced

the direction of some of their publications and concepts.

• One concrete example was a pamphlet that the GASL was

going to publish. They had already printed up a few hundred

copies and were going to distribute them to the wider group

the next day, but when I saw it in a pre-meeting, I objected to

some of the wording and they withdrew the document and it

was not distributed (it was recommending anaerobic digestion

as the preferred method of manure treatment).

Besides the Global Agenda, there is an Alphabet Soupof other international organizations involved in setting livestock standards and practices:

• As a result of a number of factors (most I mentioned previously), a wide range of international groups and organizations are attempting to establish standards and/or best practices in livestock stewardship.

• There are some connections between groups, and there is significant overlap in objectives and goals. Some are even coming from the same agencies (FAO).

• It is extremely difficult to keep track of them all, however the IMS is attempting to do so and to be involved or to at least keep in touch with them all wherever it can.

• These groups include (and this is not an exhaustive list):

• LEAP - Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance partnership,

• MICCA - Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture program,

• GRA-LRG - Global Research Alliance-Livestock Research Group,

• CWFS – Committee on World Food Security,

• UNEP-SC and UNEP-SETAC – United Nations Environment Program on Sustainable Consumption (Technical Advisory Committee),

• OIE – World Organization for Animal Health (Office International des Epizooties),

• EU-SAW and EU-EF –European Union Standards for Animal Welfare and Environmental Footprinting,

• ISO – International Standards Organization - Animal Welfare Standards,

• CCAC – Climate and Clean Air Coalition - to reduce short lived climate pollutants (SLCP),

• LEARN – Livestock Emissions Abatement research Network,

• GLEAM – Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model, and

• OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

LEAP - Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance partnership:

• LEAP was formed in 2012 with the objective of using the Life Cycle Assessment frame-work to form a science-based methodology, indicators and databases for understanding the environmental performance of, and to shape livestock supply chains.

• Technical Advisory Groups involving dozens of experts from around the world, have been established to, first set up data bases and assessment publications on several livestock species and inputs including:

Some of the assessments have been completed (poultry, for example) and others are still in draft from. The draft Guidelines on Pig Supply Chains Assessment just came out so we have not had a chance to properly review them yet.

Ultimately, LEAP intends to provide best practice guidelines based upon its findings. LEAP is another FAO-led initiative with direct involvement (steering committee membership) of the IMS, some international livestock groups as well as governments and other organizations (currently about 30 international members).

• Feed,

• Small ruminants,

• Large ruminants,

• Poultry, and

• Pigs

MICCA – Mitigation In Climate Change in Agriculture:

• MICCA was formed in 2010 as a sub-group within the FAO with the objective of working towards an agreement for confronting climate change.

• Part of MICCA’s mission is to inform the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) of the options for including agriculture in international

institutional climate change arrangements.

• MICCA produced the Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock

report in 2013

GRA-LRG – Global Research Alliance (on Agricultural GHGs) – Livestock Research Group:

• The GRA was formed in 2009, and has 46 member countries. The Alliance is focused on research, development and extension of technologies and practices that will help deliver ways to grow more food (and more climate-resilient food systems) without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

• The Alliance is founded on the voluntary, collaborative efforts of members. The Canadian government is a member.

• The Livestock Section of the GRA was formed in early 2013.

UNEP and UNEP-SCTAC –

United Nations Environment

Program on Sustainable

Consumption (Technical

Advisory Committee)

• An environmental program under the

United Nations. It has been focusing on

climate change and GHGs more and

more in the last few years, and has also

significantly been looking at livestock

and the environment.

OIE – Organization for Animal Health (Office

International des Epizooties)

• Created in 1924 to fight animal diseases, changed it’s

name to the World Organization for Animal Health in

2003. It has 180 member countries (including Canada)

and is made up of government representatives.

• In the last several years it has started to take on food

safety and animal welfare through a ‘science-based’

approach.

• The OIE is connecting its activities to those of the

Codex Alimentarius Commission under the WHO

and the FAO (international food safety codes). The

OIE's standard-setting activities in this field focus on

eliminating potential hazards existing prior to the

slaughter of animals or the primary processing of

their products (meat, milk, eggs, etc.) that could be a

source of risk for consumers.

• The OIE has become, a leading international

organization for animal welfare. It recently issued

two reports on anti-biotic resistance.

ISO – International Standards

Organization - Animal Welfare

Standards

• Founded in 1947, headquartered in Geneva, it has over

20,500 international standards, including 800 dedicated to

food.

• Does not regulate or certify, completely voluntary and self-

declaring.

• It is now looking at establishing livestock welfare standards.

CCAC – Climate and Clean Air Air Coalition to reduce short-lived lived climate pollutants (SLCP)

• Sponsored the Manure Knowledge Kiosk (mentioned earlier) through the Global Agenda. But it is also looking at ways to reduce GHGs through manure management practices.

• CCAC was formed in 2010 under UNEP and now includes 49 member countries (governments) including Canada.

GLEAM – Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model

A modelling framework that simulates the interaction of activities and processes involved in livestock production and the environment.

The model is intended to assess livestock's impacts, adaptation and mitigation options at the (sub)national, regional and global scale.

Includes feed production, processing and transport; herd dynamics, animal feeding and manure management; and animal products processing and transport.

OECD-FAO Guidance for

Responsible Agricultural Supply

Chains (Mar 11, 2016)

Adopted in March of 2016, it

outlines a series of principles

covering when investors should not invest in

agricultural (and related) enterprizes including

areas such as those indicate risks of adverse

social, environmental, human rights and animal

welfare matters.

OECD-FAO Guidance forResponsible Agricultural Supply Chains

› › OECD

Why are we Participating?

• To provide guidance and advice from the

Canadian swine perspective.

• To monitor what is going on internationally

so we know what is or might be coming

down the pipe as far as international

standards for livestock.

• To influence the outcome of what they are doing so as to

ensure whatever international standards are arrived at - we

can live with.

Conclusions

• Many (perhaps 50% - 60%) of these

international initiatives are related to

GHG emissions. Since ruminants are

responsible for the significant majority

of GHGs in livestock, pigs are minor

contributors (about 9%). None-the-less,

any standards adopted internationally

could affect us.

• About 25% - 30% of these international

initiatives are related to animal welfare.

Conclusions, cont’d….

• Many of these initiatives have over-

lapping objectives – that is, some of these

groups are doing some of the same things,

sometimes in competition with each other,

and with various slants depending on the

group doing it.

• Some of the groups have less than clear

goals and so it is difficult to understand

what they are looking to achieve.

• Several of these initiatives are coming

from the same groups. The FAO and other

UN organizations such as UNEP are

involved in a number of them.

The Future

• Undoubtedly, more and more international standards on environmental and welfare issues related to livestock willcome.

• At this point the two main groups seem to be the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock and the related LEAPinitiative. From my perspective, it is important that we stay involved with these initiatives and continue to try and influence them to ensure reasonable standards are reached.

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