The four short presentations and panel discussion, entitled 'Is There a Role for Livestock in Global Food Security', hosted by the University of Bristol and Rothamsted Research from Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 January.

Speakers on the panel include: Imke de Boer from Wageningen University, Netherlands; Mike Wilkinson from Nottingham University; Brian Perry - Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford and previously the International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi; Graeme Martin from the University of Western Australia and Future Farm 2050.

Livestock are an important part of the food production landscape, but they are also associated with a number of negative environmental impacts, such as 14.5 per cent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, a proportion greater than the entire global transportation sector. Also, livestock consume large quantities of cereal crops that could be otherwise fed directly to humans. However, a quarter of the ice-free land surface of the earth is pasture available for grazing livestock and largely unsuitable for other types of food production.

Professor Mark Eisler, Chair in Global Farm Animal Health in the School of Veterinary Sciences and Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol, said: “Hot on the heels of Bristol’s European Green Capital 2015 and the game changing COP21 agreement in Paris, we are pleased to host four internationally renowned discussion panellists to address this key question at the interface of food security, environmental sustainability and One Health as the lead into the first Steps to sustainable livestock conference.”

Professor Michael Lee, Chair in Sustainable Livestock Systems in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol and Head of Rothamsted Research, North Wyke site, added: “The Global Farm Platform is striving to develop sustainable solutions for ruminant livestock production as a crucial part of world food security. The presentations and panel discussion and the following international conference bring together leading figures to help address this major world issue.”

The public presentations and panel discussion will take place on Tuesday 12 January at 5.45 pm in Lecture Theatre 1, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantocks Close, Bristol.