Protein and the Future of Sustainable Food Systems

​Meat and dairy are at the center of contested debates in climate and food systems, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) having concluded that livestock systems account for about 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions while providing critical nutrition not easily replaced from other sources.

Recent evidence suggests that some of the most impactful climate and food security gains may come not from changes to reduce production and consumption of animal-source food, but from transforming animal agriculture through advances in feed, genetics, animal health, and production systems.

This session challenges extreme narratives and asks what are the most effective and proven pathways to unlock innovation within livestock systems and achieve all sustainability goals? Bringing together leaders from across the spheres of development, research, and food production, this session will address trade-offs and synergies, explore proof of progress, identify gaps, and discuss what policy and investment shifts are needed to reshape the future of sustainable food systems.