Berlin Declaration: A sustainable future where we all fit

After its General Assembly in Berlin, AVEC, The European Poultry Meat Association, in which he participates Avianza and AMACO As representatives of our country, they have launched a joint declaration of all their national members in favor of the challenges of sustainability in the sector. 

This Berlin Declaration (English version), which you can see below, represents the vision of a strategic sector in Europe such as poultry (chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose and others), whose combined production exceeds 38,000 million euros, with exports of more than 2,000 million euros a year. 

More than 25,000 family farms throughout Europe generate nearly 370,000 direct jobs. 

«At Avianza we subscribe to the Berlin Declaration as a necessary point of reflection for the entire European poultry sector regarding the main challenges that we have been addressing from each of our national interprofessional organizations. The response to the great demands of our society and our consumers to advance sustainable food in all its aspects is in the hands of our farmers and companies in the sector, who have been working for years to guarantee the highest standards of quality, safety and respect for environment. It is more necessary than ever to listen to them.» Jordi Montfort, Secretary General of Avianza.

Berlin Declaration

AVEC and the representatives of the respective integrated national associations commit to developing and promoting a Sustainability Charter to be presented in early 2022. The charter will aim to find the best balance between the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic , to be consistent with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy.

AVEC has begun a reflection process with the aim of facing the next challenges of our planet, which we believe cannot be combated alone, but must be addressed with a common approach. Therefore, all stakeholders in the production chain (breeding company representatives, farmer representatives, food processors, academics and scientists) are participating in this initiative.

With this declaration, the European poultry meat sector commits to a sustainable future.

Our agreement

The European poultry meat sector is a competitive, innovative and sustainable sector that contributes significantly to the balanced and healthy diet of the people of Europe and the world. We provide high quality poultry meat of species such as chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose or others.

The poultry meat sector is a strategic asset in the EU food system, with a total production value of €38 billion, with exports worth more than €2 billion per year and providing direct employment. to more than 370,000 people. Chickens, turkeys and ducks are raised to high standards on 25,000 family farms across Europe.

In Europe, conventional poultry meat production represents 80% of the market. Using highly efficient production processes, only a minimal amount of natural resources is needed to generate a source of protein of great value for the human diet.

Implementing higher welfare standards for our animals is part of our DNA and we are proud to be world leaders in this matter. To achieve animal welfare and have high product quality, the extensive experience of our highly qualified professionals, who bring many years of experience to our sector, is crucial.

Our mission is progress

We are a progressive and committed sector that constantly works on the development of our procedures throughout the entire production chain. As an integrated sector, we work closely together and benefit from knowledge sharing at all levels.

We are aware that society and politicians in the European Union are immersed in an intense debate about the future of livestock farming. We see ourselves as an active part in this discussion and as a trusted partner. We advocate an open, responsive and constructive dialogue with the EU institutions, politicians and relevant stakeholders, striving to find new solutions.

Context

To ensure a just transition towards more sustainable European poultry meat production, EU authorities need to ensure and enforce a level playing field with international trading partners and demand identical rules for poultry meat. imported.

In the context of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy in which the 27 EU Member States committed to making the European Union the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the EU poultry sector wants to contribute to a more sustainable world.