CAVI Sustainable Livestock Production Conference
– Meeting 2030 Targets

Irish veterinary community comes together to discuss their role in assisting farmers towards achieving sustainable food production goals.

Latest research and ongoing work between the veterinary industry and farmers highlighted at event.

Dr Frank Mitloehner urges industry to re-think methane as an energy source.

The CAVI Sustainable Livestock Production Conference took place at the Tullamore Court Hotel, Offaly, on Wednesday January 18th. The event set out to explore the environmental impact of our agriculture and food industries and to examine how vets, working with their clients, can positively impact and contribute towards a more sustainable agricultural sector into the future.

A wide range of expert speakers, both Irish and International, offered a local and global perspective on the challenges, and the potential solutions, facing us. Commenting on the goals of the conference, Donal Lynch – Veterinary Ireland member and XLVets member – stated: “The veterinary industry, hand-in-hand with farmers across the country, is already doing an awful lot to promote ongoing health on farms, which contributes to addressing our environmental impact and is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we need to continue to upskill in the area of sustainability and explore the issues and the solutions that will help us to achieve our targets.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Frank Mitloehner – Professor and Air Quality Specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis – highlighted the importance of utilising our natural resources to feed the world’s growing population: “Without ruminants we could not make use of 2/3 of all agricultural land in the world. We have a limited amount of natural resources to feed the growing global human population, so it is imperative for us to make the best use of all the resources we have. For a country like Ireland, to me there is no doubt that you have to use those resources, all that green grass that you are famous for all over the world, in order to produce highly nutritious food products.

“If you reduce your livestock, the consumer demand for animal products remains, so this food will simply be produced by other countries, which then produce the emissions – this is called leakage and it doesn’t work. I hope that the veterinary community in Ireland helps your policy makers understand this point.”

He also focused on the importance of re-thinking how we manage methane: "Tackling the issue around livestock and its impact on our climate demands for us to re-think methane. The gas is only a problem if we don't manage it but if we do manage it, it can be a solution. Opportunities such as converting methane into electrical power to replace fossil fuels should be explored. Reducing methane reduces global warming."

Other speakers on the day included: Fergal Morris, MVB, General Manager, MSD Animal Health Ireland, who discussed the future of technology in sustainability; John Murray, Director of Meat, Food & Beverage Sectors with Bord Bia, offered an update on developments within the Origin Green initiative; Dr Tom O'Dwyer, Teagasc, focused his presentation on the Signpost Programme; Prof. David Kenny, Teagasc, examined mitigation strategies to reduce GHG emissions from Irish pasture-based livestock production systems; Rachel Hayton, Synergy Farm Health, presented on the topic of how to embed sustainability in veterinary practice; and Dr Doreen Corridan offered some insight into Irish processors’ view on sustainability.

Donal Murphy of XL Vets opened the conference and Geoff Dooley was the MC for the event.

The event was sponsored by MSD Animal Health Ireland and XLVets Ireland.

For more information on the event and biogs of all speakers visit www.caviconference.com

For copies of the presentations given or interview requests please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.