Growing together: three new members strengthen the LEAP partnership
FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership welcomes three new members joining its mission to accelerate the sustainable development of livestock sector
Welcome session of the FAO LEAP Annual Meeting 2024, FAO headquarters
©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito
Three new members have joined the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership, contributing their unique expertise and perspectives to advance the sustainability of the livestock sector. The new members include the Harper Adams University, La Mesa Argentina de Carne Sustentable (MACS) and the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IEDA).
The Harper Adams University is the UK’s premier educational institution serving the agri-food, animal wellbeing and connected industries. Recognized as a world leader in sustainable livestock research and education, its work encompasses food production and processing, engineering and technology innovation, animal health and wellbeing, land management, and environmental sustainability. The University is equally committed to making the UK’s food and farming competitive.
Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, shared the institution’s enthusiasm for joining LEAP:
“It is a great honour for LEAP to recognise Harper Adams University in this way as a leading institute globally in sustainable livestock research and education. It highlights the impact of our activity in sustainable livestock research and education globally to be able to advise and support LEAP directly.” Said Lee.
Harper Adams aims to support the LEAP partnership in improving environmental sustainability of livestock as part of a wider agri-food roadmap co-delivering to SDG2 and the Paris Climate Agreement.
La Mesa Argentina de Carne Sustentable (MACS) is an association uniting over 50 key stakeholders from Argentina’s beef value chain, including producers, processors, retailers, civil society organizations, and service companies. Dedicated to improving the sustainability of beef production, MACS integrates social, environmental, and economic factors to ensure long-term industry viability.
As part of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), MACS prioritizes five key areas: Animal Health and Welfare, Efficiency and Innovation, People and Communities, Natural Resources, and Food. These priorities reflect MACS’s commitment to a responsible and resilient value chain.
La Mesa Argentina de Carne Sustentable joined the LEAP Partnership not only to integrate international perspectives, pursue innovative solutions, and position Argentine beef as a global leader in responsible production, but also to actively contribute to strategies that drive a sustainable future for beef production, benefiting consumers, communities, and the environment.
Established in 1953 the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IEDA) is a leading national research institute in China specializing in agro-environmental science and technology innovation, with a focus on the interactions among the key elements in the natural environment and agricultural practices. IEDA dedicates to five research fields, including Climate Change, Dryland Agriculture, Agricultural Clean Watershed, New Material Application, and Environmental Engineering.
The Environmental Science and Engineering for Animal Husbandry research group at IEDA-CAAS leads National Key Projects focused on livestock manure management and low-carbon technology innovation. Their groundbreaking technologies, implemented as part of the China Manure Utilization Action Plan across 500 counties, have significantly mitigated non-point source pollution in rural areas. This work has earned the group the prestigious National Scientific and Technological Progress Award twice. Their extensive experience in international collaborations include contributions to the FAO LEAP guidelines and IPCC guidelines for greenhouse gas inventories.
As a FAO LEAP Partnership partner, the institute aims to contribute to the development of science-based guidelines, technologies and practices for livestock sustainability and fostering knowledge sharing and capacity building among partners.
By welcoming these new partners, the FAO LEAP Partnership continues to strengthen its global network, joining a wide range of expertise to drive innovation and sustainability in livestock systems.
Read more on the Partnership Commitment
