The main annual conference of the Welsh livestock and red meat industry, hosted by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), will this year be a virtual event focussing on Covid-19, sustainability and the environment.
The conference, which is scheduled to take place on November 10th-12th, will feature speakers and panel discussions looking at how Covid-19 has impacted supply and demand, how Wales can be best-placed to respond to consumer demand for sustainably-produced food, and if post-Brexit deals could change the global trading landscape.
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor of livestock farming and environmental sustainability at the CLEAR Center at the University of California Davis, will open the conference with a keynote speech on ‘The Path to Climate Neutrality’.
"It’s vital that we understand how a changing picture in terms of global politics and trade may affect us, analyse consumers’ changing behaviour during the pandemic."
Chris Elliott OBE, founder of the Institute of Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast, will also give a presentation on the need for integrity in global food supply chains after Covid; trade expert Richard Brown of GIRA will lead a discussion on the changing international landscape for red meat ; and Welsh Government minister Lesley Griffiths will present her vision of the future of Welsh food and farming.
HCC chief executive, Gwyn Howells, said: “2020 has brought unique challenges to our industry like many others. It’s vital that we understand how a changing picture in terms of global politics and trade may affect us, analyse consumers’ changing behaviour during the pandemic, and look at how Wales can be a global leader in sustainable farming in a way which benefits both consumers and our rural economy.
“We’re delighted to have such engaging keynote speakers, all of whom are in great demand in the media as experts on how the future of food could look in 2021 and beyond.
“A virtual conference will, of course, be a different experience for us all, but we’re confident that everyone in our industry – from farmers to policy-makers and every link in the supply chain – will have a lot to contribute at this time when the future has rarely been less certain, but where opportunities undoubtedly exist for Wales.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
