The OIE organised a high-level panel at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2018 at the Green Week in Berlin, Germany. This panel discussed the item Animal Health and Welfare: Two cornerstones for the future of globally diversified livestock production. The IEC was invited to join that panel to give the industry point of view and this was done by Ben Dellaert, our President. Other speakers were WTO, FAO, European Commission and an animal welfare NGO.

In his presentation Ben stressed the importance of global trade, contributing to 40% of the global value of agricultural output and in this way supporting the livelihood and food security of almost 1.3 billion people. On the other hand, experts estimate that each year up to 20% production losses are attributed to animal diseases around the world. Of course, trade (especially in live animals or hatching eggs) can be a serious risk to animal health. That is why OIE standards on trade in relation to animal health and transparency are very important.

Click here for the full OIE Press Release - http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/detail/article/a-stronger-future-for-globally-diversified-livestock-production/