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PANAMA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday called on Latin American countries to rethink their livestock production in order to better care for natural resources.
This call was made in Panama City where the FAO is holding the 6th summit of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock, which has seen over 200 representatives from 50 countries sign the Panama Declaration.
This Declaration highlights the key role Latin America must play to meet global sustainable development objectives.
In a press release accompanying the Declaration, the FAO called on governments to articulate rural, social and environmental development which allow sustainable livestock.
The institution recommended that recent decades have seen an explosion in the global demand for animal products, which is set to increase by another 70 percent by 2050.
Latin America has responded to this trend by becoming the main global exporter of beef and poultry, as well as a major producer of pork and dairy.
However, the FAO warned that this has led to the creation of intensive production systems, which wreak havoc on the environment.
"Over 70 percent of pastures in the region show moderate to severe levels of degradation, impacting the sustainability of natural resources," said Tito Diaz, FAO's coordinator for Mesoamerica, at the conference.
Diaz urged ministers present from across the region to focus on recovering pastures in their policies.
As part of the Declaration, Latin American countries recognize as a strategic sector for regional food security and that sustainable livestock protection will greatly improve food security and public nutrition. According to FAO data, agriculture contributes 46 percent of the gross domestic product of Latin America and the Caribbean, although just five countries make up 75 percent of the region's production. Furthermore, 80 percent of livestock farmers in the region are small-scale producers.
"These producers represent an opportunity for governments to push sustainable forces of production through innovative policies, which are adequate to producers' needs," added Diaz. Enditem
