FAO LEAP Partnership: Celebrating past achievements and planning future innovations
Over 300 experts, scientists, farmers, and global representatives gathered at FAO Headquarters to celebrate the FAO LEAP Partnership and chart the course for sustainable livestock transformation.
The 2024 Annual Meeting of the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership, entitled "Strengthening partnerships to achieve sustainable livestock transformation", took place on Monday, 15 July 2024 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
This event celebrated the significant milestones achieved over the first 12 years of the partnership, highlighted ongoing projects, and laid the groundwork for future initiatives.
Background
Since its inception, the FAO LEAP Partnership has been crucial in developing internationally recognized methods and metrics to assess the environmental impacts of livestock production. This success is result of collaboration among over 400 experts from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and non-governmental organizations.
The partnership has produced more than a dozen guidelines and technical documents, all developed through a rigorous multi-stakeholder review process to ensure robust and transparent methodologies. Additionally, the FAO LEAP Partnership supports the global adoption of these guidelines, adapting them to various contexts and scales. The Catalogue of Applications, [DW1] for example, shares case studies highlighting their impact, while collaborations with policymakers and academia facilitate their integration into practical tools.
Annual Meeting highlights
The 2024 Annual Meeting was a comprehensive event divided into three interrelated sessions, beginning with opening remarks from distinguished authorities and the FAO LEAP Chair, who underscored the importance of the Partnership's daily work in driving sustainable transformation in the livestock sector.
First session: Celebrating achievements
The first session highlighted the achievements of the past 12 years, including the publication of 12 guidelines and 5 reports. These milestones reflect FAO LEAP partners’ dedication to improving environmental sustainability in the livestock sector.
Second session: Ongoing projects
The second session focused on current projects, notably the development of new guidelines on ecosystem services and circular bioeconomy approaches. These projects exemplify the partnership’s continuous efforts to address emerging environmental challenges and promote innovative solutions.
Third session: Future planning
The final session was dedicated to planning the future of the FAO LEAP Partnership. Discussions centered on the potential for the partnership to continue playing a key role in the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector, exploring new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Steering Committee meeting
Following the Annual Meeting, the FAO LEAP Steering Committee convened to discuss the future direction of the partnership. The meeting reaffirmed FAO LEAP's critical role in the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration and strategic planning.
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