Spain: Livestock cooperatives and experts claim that eating meat is healthy and sustainable

The article highlights the defense of extensive livestock farming by Exponent cooperatives like Covap, Nuestra Señora Los Remedios-Picasat, and Ovipor at the 'Sustainability in livestock production' technical conference within Fegasur 2022. The cooperatives emphasize the contributions of livestock production to population, wealth, and employment, alongside conservationist work and integration with the environment. The conference also criticized the 'public lynching' of meat production and the promotion of vegetable meat, arguing that it lacks the nutritional benefits and environmental impact of livestock. Additionally, the conference discussed European aid for farmers, the need for a legal definition of extensive livestock farming, and strategies to address the growing trend of vegetarianism and veganism. A round table discussion at the conference addressed the challenges faced by the sector, such as the perception that livestock farming is contributing to global warming and the negative associations between red meat consumption and certain diseases.