Provacuno and APAQ-W reinforce the sector's commitment to the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 at the 1st European Symposium on Beef Cattle Sustainability

More than 600 professionals participated both in person and online in the 1st European Symposium on Beef Sustainability , held on November 12 in Brussels and organized by Provacuno and APAQ-W within the framework of the European Sustainable Beef (SEUB) program. This pioneering event within the European Union brought together international experts to analyze the main sustainability challenges facing the sector from economic, social, and environmental perspectives.

The event also served to present the first progress of the SEUB program and the campaign “For a sustainable Europe, the special mission of beef” , co-financed with European funds for the period 2025-2027, whose objective is to raise awareness among citizens and professionals about the sector's commitment to sustainable production.

According to Javier López , director of Provacuno, the symposium highlighted the sector's efforts to align itself with European priorities such as climate neutrality and sustainable rural development , as well as serving as a meeting point for institutions, researchers, producers, and the public. For his part, Philippe Mattart , director general of APAQ-W, emphasized the need for citizens to understand the value of the European production model based on best practices for achieving the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Goal .

A comprehensive view of beef cattle sustainability

The symposium was structured around four roundtables under the theme "For a Sustainable Europe: The Special Mission of Beef," comprehensively addressing economic, social, and environmental sustainability, as well as emissions reduction and soil improvement . The event was moderated by Andrea Bertaglio , a journalist specializing in sustainability.

At the Economic Sustainability panel, the speakers agreed that the sector's viability requires realistic policies and markets that recognize the producer's effort. They emphasized the need to find a balance between costs, regulation, and international competition, as well as the negative impact of the economic crisis and rural depopulation.

The panel focused on Social Sustainability highlighted the role of the meat sector as an engine of rural areas , emphasizing the importance of generational renewal, equal opportunities, access to basic services and the maintenance of agricultural tradition as the basis of social stability in the territories.

In the Environmental Sustainability section, experts agreed that it is possible to reduce emissions and improve soils through solutions tailored to each region and close collaboration between science and production. The role of pastures and livestock as natural allies in combating climate change was emphasized, as was the compatibility between sustainability and profitability.

The final round table brought together representatives from Provacuno, APAQ-W and SELMA, who emphasized the importance of transparency, communication and cooperation to move towards a more sustainable production model connected with the European rural environment.

In his concluding remarks, Frédéric Leroy , technical director of the symposium, pointed out that sustainability begins when producers can live decently from their activity and is consolidated when society understands and supports that commitment, highlighting that European beef not only feeds, but also preserves the territory, the landscape and rural identity .

About the SEUB program

The Sustainable European Beef program (2025-2027) is co-financed by the European Union and aims to promote the continuous improvement of sustainability throughout the beef value chain. Its main pillars are climate change mitigation , greenhouse gas emission reduction , maintenance and enhancement of carbon sinks , and soil fertility conservation and restoration .