High-Level Event: The Intersection of Trade and Animal Welfare in Sustainable Food Systems
The COVID-19 crisis has shown the limits of unconditional trade liberalisation, which tended to favour corporate interests while ignoring the effects of the intensification of animal agriculture on the planet and on the animals. This has contributed to the three key challenges the planet is currently facing: zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance, and the overall climate and biodiversity crisis.
As the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit approaches, we are delighted to invite you to join Eurogroup for Animals and The Good Lobby on September 21st, from 11am to 1pm, to discuss the intersection of animal welfare and trade in international policymaking.
Now more than ever, we must seize the opportunity the UN Food Systems Summit presents to leverage the emerging global awareness that the health and wellbeing of humans are inseparable from those of animals and the planet. In doing so, we must break down silos to go beyond the traditional animal welfare and sustainability narratives and rethink trade policy, at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
A key part of the solution to ensure that trade contributes to a transition towards more sustainable food systems is to better address the impact of trade policy on animal welfare.
The online event, moderated by The Good Lobby Founder and Director Alberto Alemanno, will consist of two panel debates: the first focusing on bilateral trade agreements and the second on multilateral issues, such as WTO modernisation and global value chains.
High-level policymakers, business leaders, and academic experts will come together to discuss the best ways to ensure that trade agreements and international trade rules not only avoid negative impacts on animal welfare, but also intrinsically contribute to a global transition towards a more ethical and sustainable way of living.
Draft agenda and speakers:
Welcome - Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Bilateral trade agreements:
- Ms Claire Bury, Deputy Director-General for Food Sustainability
- Pascal Durand, Member of the European Parliament (Renew, France)
- Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive, RSPCA
Multilateral Issues:
- Jean-Marie Paugam, Deputy Director General at the World Trade Organization
- Dr. Laura Nielsen, Academic expert in International Trade Law
- Ignacio Bercero, Director General for Trade (DG TRADE) at the European Commission
- Cees Jan Hollander, Global Farming Expertise Manager at Danone
- Maureen Santos, Policy Officer at the Federation of Organisations for Social and Educational Assistance (FASE)
Join us for this unique discussion on September 21st by registering here.
For any questions, please email kelsey@thegoodlobby.eu.
This event is jointly organised by Eurogroup for Animals and The Good Lobby.
