Sector avicola

This is the letter signed by the six interprofessional organizations of the livestock-meat sector in response to the campaign launched by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and its owner, Mr. Alberto Garzón Espinosa. In it we express our "stupor" at what we consider an unjustified attack on a very important part of our population, our economy and our professionals.

From Avianza, the Spanish interprofessional poultry meat association, we could not disagree more with their statements. We are a sector that has contributed responsibly and committed to the healthy diet of society, which has not stopped working in the most complicated moments of this pandemic, when we were asked to be there to supply the population. That has made significant efforts in terms of innovation, digital transformation, sustainability and support of that Mediterranean lifestyle that you mention, and of which we are part. Excluding us or attacking our sector is erasing an important part of our gastronomic culture and our contribution of value to the economy of our country.

Letter signed by ASICI, Avianza, Intercun, Interovic, Interporc and Provacuno

Dear Minister:

The six signatory Interprofessional Organizations want to express the astonishment of the hundreds of thousands of farmers, companies, workers and technicians from all over Spain linked to the livestock and meat sectors that we represent, at the campaign signed by yourself and the Ministry of which you are headline, in which he defames the entire livestock-meat sector.

It is worrying that a minister of the Government of Spain raises a series of statements, all of them erroneous, and also does so through public channels, trying to create an artificial confrontation with a sector, the livestock-meat sector, which plays a social and economic role. of the first magnitude in our country. According to the FAO, our sector generates more than 2.5 million jobs in Spain and almost 9,000 million euros of exports to Spain's trade balance.

It is irresponsible to use data in a distorted manner when many of them are from the Government of which it is a part, such as the official consumption data of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the data from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The sector we represent will continue its informative work through verified data, such as the following:

When you claim that excessive meat consumption has led to an increase in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and even some types of cancer, you should know that all international indicators reflect that the diet and lifestyle pattern of our country is the most suitable in the world, offering profiles that place Spain at the forefront of the world:

Spain is the healthiest country in the world (according to the Bloomberg ranking, Healthiest Country Index).

Spain is the country with the highest life expectancy in the world (according to the IHME of the University of Washington and the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet).

Spain is the country with the highest life expectancy in the European Union (according to the “State of Health in the EU 2019” report by the European Commission).

Spain has a rate well below the average cancer incidence rate of all OECD countries (according to the “Health at Glance 2019” study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

When you claim that 15,000 liters of water are required to produce 1 kg of meat, you should know that the 90% of water attributed to meat production is "green water", coming from rain, which would continue to fall in the event of the disappearance of animals. Only one 10% corresponds to "blue water" and "gray water", an amount less than that of many vegetable crops.

When you ensure that 14.5% of greenhouse gases worldwide come from livestock, you should know that:

Livestock and manure production account for only 5.8% of emissions (Climate Watch and World Resources Institute, Our World in Data. Oxford University. 2020).

Energy, whether in the form of electricity, heat, transportation or industrial processes, accounts for the majority (74%) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The global food system, which encompasses production and post-agricultural processes such as processing and distribution, accounts for the remaining 26% of emissions. And of that 26%, livestock and fishing represent only a third (Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek. Science, 2018).

80% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock farming in the world come from developing countries (FAO, 2017). We cannot contribute to mitigating climate change with a Eurocentric vision.

The intensity of emissions (CO₂ eq/kg of meat) varies between different areas of the world. In our environment (Western Europe) we have one of the lowest emission intensities in the world (FAO, 2017). Our production systems are more efficient in the use of food, management and animal health. That is why we produce fewer emissions per unit of final product.

It is important to remember that, in Spain, according to official data from the National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases -Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge-, livestock production of meat represents only 7.8% of our country's total GHG emissions. On the contrary, transportation accounts for 27% of these emissions, followed by industry with 19.9%, electricity generation (17.8%), fuel consumption (8.5%) or industrial processes and use of other products (8%) (MITECO, 2020).

It is important to also remember that the methane produced in agriculture represents around 27% of the total methane emitted in the world. This methane is part of a biogenic cycle (it is transformed into CO₂ and H.₂Or in 12 years), which is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis. With stable livestock censuses, we do not increase CO₂ in the atmosphere over time, so we do not contribute to warming like the consumption of fossil fuels is doing. Therefore, our emissions reduction contributes to the mitigation of climate change, just like other economic sectors.

When you claim that “the abuse of antibiotics endangers their effectiveness for both animals and humans,” you should know that:

The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farm animals has been prohibited since 2006 (Directive 2001/82/EC and its subsequent amendments). Only sometimes, as in the case of humans, is it necessary to treat food-producing animals to cure a bacterial disease. The responsible use of medicines guarantees the well-being of animals, and that the food derived from them is healthy and safe.

European regulations regulate what medications and how they can be used to treat animals. Thus, only medications that have been authorized after having undergone a scientifically based risk assessment and favorable results can be used.

This has also been confirmed by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), indicating that Spain reduced sales of veterinary antibiotics by 13.6% in 2019, a reduction of 58.8 TP3T between 2014 and 2019 (National Antibiotic Resistance Plan). Antibiotics).

At the European level, according to the latest report from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) on the monitoring of residues of veterinary medicines and other substances in animals and products of animal origin, only 0.30% of non-conformities were detected in 2019. Thus , EFSA concludes that there is a high level of compliance and that the European surveillance system is solid and contributes to consumer protection.

As you know, a few months ago we had the opportunity to meet with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, with whom we had a very cordial and fruitful meeting. At the meeting, we presented all the sectoral initiatives to support the country's recovery after the serious pandemic situation. Initiatives that include strong commitments in the areas of sustainability and the transition towards production models based on climate neutrality and circularity, as well as quality employment, territorial structuring, equal opportunities and balanced and healthy for the entire population.

We said it at the meeting and we reiterate it now: the livestock-meat sector contributes to job creation and creates opportunities and has strong environmental commitments with verifiable results. From the sector, we will continue on the path of institutional collaboration and dialogue; and we will continue to trust that our public officials contribute, with their attitude and their statements, to that climate of understanding and not by constructing a confrontation that does not exist.

Sincerely,