The ‘Dublin Declaration’ on the role of meat has been presented at a conference that was held in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday (April 13).
The declaration has so far been signed by over 900 scientists from over 60 countries, 25 of whom are from Ireland.
‘The Dublin Declaration of Scientists on the Societal Role of Meat’ is the result of a two-day international meeting that took place in Dublin in October.
The meeting explored issues including livestock farming and the role of meat in diets, health and society.
Key outworkings from the conference were published in January, which fed into the declaration that was formally launched at yesterday’s conference.
The opening address of the international event was delivered by Prof. Frank O’ Mara, director of Teagasc.
Prof. O’Mara is the president of the Animal Task Force (ATF), a European public-private partnership to promote the European livestock sector.
Yesterday’s conference was co-organised by the ATF and the Belgian Association for Meat Science and Technology.
The conference highlighted the importance of viewing meat not just through an environmental lens, but also looking at the factors of health and nutrition.
Prof. O’Mara told attendees: “The role of meat and livestock in our food system is highly misunderstood. There is a dearth of looking at the science before conclusions are made. We need to let the science be heard.”
The conference was also addressed by Prof. Alice Stanton, director of human health at Devenish Nutrition and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
She hit out at the current state of debate around meat, saying: “We do not practice medicine based on opinions and theories, we practice medicine based on evidence.”
A representative from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) told the conference that improving livestock production efficiencies has a greater impact than simply reducing meat production in terms of sustainability.
The declaration itself states that livestock systems must progress on the basis of the highest scientific standards.
These production systems, it says, are “too precious to society to become the victim of simplification, reductionism and zealotry”.
It adds: “This declaration aims to give voice to the many scientists around the world who research diligently, honestly, and successfully in the various disciplines in order to achieve a balanced view of the future of animal agriculture.
“There is a call to increase the availability of livestock-derived foods to help satisfy the unmet nutritional needs of an estimated three billion people, for whom nutrient deficiencies contribute to stunting, wasting, anaemia, and other forms of malnutrition.”
However, the declaration also acknowledges that current methods of animal production systems in some parts of the world present challenges with regards to biodiversity, climate change, and animal welfare.
In terms of human health, the declaration says that livestock-derived foods provide a variety of essential nutrients and health-promoting compounds, many of which are lacking in diets globally, even among populations with higher incomes.
It adds that, while it may be possible for “well-resourced” individuals to have an adequate diet while restricting meat, dairy, and eggs, this should not be recommended for the general population, particularly groups of people with elevated needs.
These groups include children, pregnant and lactating women, women of reproductive age, older adults, and the chronically ill.
“The highest standards of bioevolutionary, anthropological, physiological and epidemiological evidence underscores that the regular consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, as part of a well-balanced diet, is advantageous to human beings,” the declaration says.