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The 9 paradoxes you should know "from farm to table"

The Sustainability It is one of the pillars on which the development of the current meat industry is based, and its weight will be even greater in the coming years, together with the energy transition wave innovation. To demonstrate the efforts of the European livestock sector in this regard, from Avianza We participate in the initiative promoted by the Platform "European Livestock Voice”, which in Spain has its adaptation in We are Livestock.

Part of our efforts are aimed at effectively exposing the keys that can allow an effective strategy to be developed and implemented in Europe. “from farm to table””. A challenge for which several interprofessionals have joined together, within the framework of action of the European Union.

Our last action was the presentation of the video «The 9 paradoxes of farm to table», where we highlight that, despite good intentions, «the farm to fork strategy does not take into consideration the real situation and challenges of the livestock sector«. Our wish is actively participate in the great process of ecological transition underway, but showing through these contents that the answer requires a complete, transparent and close to reality analysis.

These 9 paradoxes reflect the misconceptions and prejudices suffered by the livestock sector, and which refer to issues such as the environment, health or the economy. Our challenge is uncover inaccuracies that often spread without any scientific basis, and provide truthful information on topics such as:
• The nutritional value of meat
• The coherence of land use for livestock activity.
• The environmental sustainability of the European livestock chain
• The economic impact of the sector
• The protection of animal welfare
• The use of fertilizers
• Employment in rural areas
• The gastronomic and cultural heritage of products of animal origin
• The safety and availability of our food products

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AVIANZA PARTICIPATES IN THE CREATION OF THE MUNICIPAL LIVESTOCK-MEAT NETWORK

He The municipal fabric of Spain has played a crucial role in the development of the livestock-meat chain. Their lands have been used to feed and raise animals, their neighbors have worked hard in the process from the farm to the consumers' table, and the municipalities have provided the necessary facilities for these initiatives to prosper. This institutional and citizen work, together with that of companies in the sector, has allowed the livestock-meat chain to be, for several decades, the main economic engine and backbone agent of Rural Spain.

In this sense, in gratitude for the constant support provided, the six interprofessional meat organizations (ASICI, Avianza, Intercun, Interovic, Interporc and Provacuno), have launched the “Municipal livestock-meat network”, a platform that aims to pay tribute to all those municipalities in Spain in which meat has become a hallmark of its own identity. With this gesture, the meat interprofessionals want to return the affection received over the years by all citizens and municipal corporations and value their contribution to the development of the meat sector and the economy in general. 

In addition to paying this tribute, the “Municipal Livestock-Meat Network” was born with the vocation of becoming a dialogue platform between the private and public sectors at the municipal level, so the Network aspires to strengthen alliances with those municipalities with livestock-meat activities that want to contribute to the recognition of the chain as a development lever. The network will be representative of the social, geographical, political and cultural diversity of our country.

How to be part of the Network

Interprofessional organizations are currently in contact with dozens of city councils throughout Spain, with the aim of integrating them, a process that has already begun and will take place in the coming weeks. However, any municipality where the livestock-meat sector is active can be part of the network, through the approval of an institutional declaration by the plenary session of the town councils. Interested municipalities will find all the necessary information on the website redganaderocarnica.es.

Development of rural areas

The “Municipal Livestock-Meat Network” will seek to highlight the symbiotic relationship that exists between this socio-economic sector and the municipalities of the regions in which it operates. It must be taken into account that livestock-meat activity plays a fundamental role in establishing population in many localities, thus reducing the territorial gap in the country and the progressive process of depopulation of rural areas. The great livestock diversity that exists and the conditions of the chain itself, which makes it easier for a large population to settle near farms and businesses, has allowed the areas with a livestock-meat presence to resist the challenge much better, in many cases until reversing the process.

The variety of species and livestock forms also allows us to conserve and take advantage of many of the landscapes of Rural Spain. The mountain areas host a good part of the cattle, the unproductive lands and of high ecological interest are grazed by sheep and goats, the Iberian pig is part of the landscape of the pasture, the rabbit farms are located in nuclei of less than 2,000 inhabitants and the white-coated pig represents one of the sectors with the highest economic profitability in towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants.

The agri-food sector, and the meat subsector in particular, is also an opportunity to develop associated industrial initiatives in these areas where employment is generated and economic activity is diversified. In the case of the meat industry, which is the leading branch of food in Spain, industrial activity is made up of 2,750 companies, among which there are many small and medium-sized ones. These companies are preferably located in rural areas with the same difficulties as the territory on which livestock farming is based.

Opportunity generator

The livestock-meat chain contributed 42,000 million euros to the national GDP in 2019, (15,172.6 million from livestock production and 26,822 million euros from the meat industry), which represents 22.6% of the entire food sector. In 2019, the meat-livestock subsector reached 28.8% of Final Agricultural Production and 77.4% of Final Production generated by the entire animal sector according to the MAPA.

Regarding employment, livestock farms, the meat industry and the entire distribution and sales system generate 672,000 direct jobs. The total is distributed among the half a million people dedicated to livestock farming, the 97,000 workers in the meat industries and the 75,000 people employed in retail trade. In total, it is estimated that about two million people make their living from the livestock-meat chain in our country, including agricultural production for livestock, and the sectors of veterinary professionals, feed, animal health, logistics and transportation, and auxiliary industries.

Regarding exports, the volume in 2019 reached 7,555 million euros, which is equivalent to the entire Spanish wood and cork industry, with a growth of 26% in foreign turnover and 15.1% in volume compared to the figures from the previous year. These figures have a special strategic relevance at a time when international trade is suffering a strong decline and where the livestock-meat chain has emerged as a guarantee to maintain the positive balance of the balance of payments.

Meat trade has a strong countercyclical and resilient component, since in the month of April 2020, in full confinement, while the year-on-year variation rate of our exports for all economic sectors fell by 39.3%, that of meat increased 13% for a value of 635 million euros.

Fountain: Press release Municipal Livestock-Meat Network.

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NEXT GENERATION FUNDS: THE MEAT SECTOR PROMOTES THE GREEN AND DIGITAL ECONOMY

The meat sector in Spain, including the poultry industry, will promote a 3.5 billion project to accelerate the green and digital economy in our country, within the framework of the funds Next Generation of the European Union.

AVIANZA has joined together with other interprofessional organizations such as Interporc, Asici, Interovic, Provacuno and Intercun to form a working group that represents more than 21 industries. The team is made up of associations and companies, and Manuel García, from Vall Companys.

Two important technological partners also participate in the initiative: Hispasat and Telefónica, whose challenge is to provide infrastructure and technological solutions to accelerate digitalization and innovation in production centers and the rest of the value chain of the Spanish meat industries. Funds Next Generation They are an opportunity to promote your transformation, under the principles of Sustainability, new ways of working, inter-connectivity of different areas of activity, etc.

On the part of the poultry sector, this group has partners from Avianza as Vall Companys Group, Uvesa Group either Coren, among others.

The objective of this project is that 50 % of the financing comes from private funds, while the other 50% is provided by the European “Next Generation” funds, for which they will have to be approved first by the Government, to later pass by the analysis and acceptance of the EU.

These are some of the main commitments collected by this project:

  • In terms of sustainability, The dossier prepared includes the intention to join to the European Green Deal, reduce single-use plastics by 25 % and boost the supply of energy from renewable sources, reaching 70 % in three years.
  • The fight against climate change It also appears in this initiative, since to reduce the carbon footprint it proposes reducing emissions by 15 % for the livestock sector, and by 30 % for the meat industry.
  • In digitalization, both ranchers and the industry propose using “Blockchain” technology, until 50% of exports are reached, 10 % of companies have developed an “online” sales channel and that there is a boost to robotization.
  • The project also reflects actions related to equal opportunities to reach 50 % of female employment in all links of the chain.
  • And also others related to animal welfare, to extend the implementation of the certificate during 2021. Animal Welfare Commitment.

From Avianza We consider this project as a pioneering initiative for our poultry industry, and we trust in the approval of Next Generation funds for its subsequent application over the next three years. Our mission is to contribute to the environmental, economic and social sustainability of our poultry sector, and support our partners at a momentous time to ensure their viability in the face of the serious effects of this pandemic on the economy.