The importance of beef cattle farming for health, debated in a new session of the Provacuno Campus

• During the day, Juan Pascual, veterinarian, science communicator and vice president of AnimalhealthEurope, addressed from a scientific and technical perspective the role of cattle in sustainability, nutrition and human health.

The Provacuno Campus is establishing itself as a leading resource for university students interested in the beef cattle sector. Its latest session, held online on January 21st and titled “Importance of Beef Cattle Farming for Health and Sustainability,” brought together more than 60 participants, mostly from degree programs such as Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Engineering, and Food Science and Technology, as well as master's and doctoral students.

The webinar was moderated by Almudena Campoy, coordinator of the Vet+i Foundation, who welcomed the attendees and opened the day by highlighting the role of the Provacuno Campus as a meeting place between university students, the academic field and the beef cattle sector.

Next, Arancha Martínez, Provacuno's communications director, opened the event and reminded students of the benefits of registering as campus members to stay up to date with all the latest news.

Next, he gave the floor to Juan Pascual, veterinarian, science communicator and vice president of AnimalhealthEurope, who addressed from a scientific and technical perspective the role of cattle in sustainability, nutrition and human health.

During the presentation, the key role of beef cattle in the circular economy was highlighted, noting that nearly 95% of cattle feed comes from resources not edible to humans, such as agricultural and industrial by-products, thus contributing to the valorization of waste and the reduction of food waste.

The importance of livestock in land use was also emphasized, especially in extensive systems, where cattle contribute to forest fire prevention, landscape maintenance, and the natural carbon cycle by stimulating grass growth and improving soil fertility. In this regard, it was noted that two-thirds of the world's arable land is unsuitable for crops intended directly for human consumption, but is suitable for grazing.

In the area of environmental sustainability, the analysis of emissions associated with livestock was addressed, emphasizing that not all geographical areas or production systems emit in the same way. Comparative data on emissions versus nutritional value were presented, as well as references to studies that provide a more complete and contextualized view of the environmental impact of beef cattle.

In addition, other key issues were addressed, such as nutrition, social perception, and communication about meat consumption, emphasizing the importance of conveying information based on scientific data to society.

The day concluded with a question and answer session, in which topics such as artificial meat, international trade (Mercosur), European regulations on food safety and animal welfare, and the future challenges of the sector were addressed.

About PROVACUNO

PROVACUNO is the Interprofessional Beef Organization, a private, non-profit, national entity, made up of the main organizations of the production sector and the processing/marketing sector to defend the interests of the beef sector, a meeting place and forum for debate to improve the situation of the sectoral food chain.

About the Vet+i Foundation

The Vet+i Foundation, the Spanish Technological Platform for Animal Health, is a multidisciplinary forum that brings together all public and private stakeholders involved in animal health in Spain: producer organizations, the scientific and academic community, the veterinary profession, public administration, and the animal health industry. Its objective is to promote the improvement of the technological capacity and competitiveness of the animal health sector through knowledge sharing, planning, and dissemination activities.