WASHINGTON — The Meat Institute and the Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow is partnering once again with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), held this year in Dubai Nov. 30 through Dec. 12.

IICA and the Protein PACT will co-host a reception on Dec. 8, celebrating sustainable agriculture of the Americas and highlighting the role of meat and dairy. Speakers include IICA Deputy Director Lloyd Day, Meat Institute Chief Strategy Officer Eric Mittenthal, and Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Fernando Mattos Costa.

“Protein PACT partners are honored to again emphasize at COP28 the role of animal agriculture in driving sustainability and food security solutions and to support IICA in advancing sustainable agriculture of the Americas,” said Mittenthal. “We look forward to engaging throughout the summit to verify progress toward sustaining nutrient-dense foods like meat and dairy for generations to come, including by sharing the Meat Institute’s pioneering greenhouse gas inventory tool and sector-wide data reporting.”

Manuel Otero, IICA director general, said that meat and poultry production lays at the heart of sustainable solutions.

“As the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has concluded, meat, eggs and milk offer crucial sources of much-needed nutrients which cannot easily be obtained from other sources, and producing these foods supports the livelihoods of millions throughout the Americas and around the world,” he said. “Livestock production is therefore central to all sustainability solutions — environmental, economic and social. IICA and its member states will continue to champion at COP28 and beyond the critical role of sustainable agriculture of the Americas, including livestock production, in achieving global goals.”  

The Protein PACT helped organize six panels across five COP28 pavilions, including:

• Dec. 5 panel in the Food Pavilion, co-organized by IICA and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) on the topic of sustainable and healthy livestock production systems.
• Dec. 6 panel in the IICA pavilion, organized by the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food on the topic of achieving net zero in agrifood systems.
• Dec. 8 panel in the IICA pavilion, organized by the Protein PACT on the topic of principles, practices, and proof for animal agriculture driving climate and food security solutions.
• Dec. 9 panel in the IICA pavilion, co-organized by IICA and ILRI on the topic of innovation and investment in livestock systems for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Last year, the Meat Institute and IICA worked together to convene nine events focused on agriculture’s role in future sustainability.