BRITISH GRASSLAND SOCIETY

Bringing together those with an interest in grass and forage production and utilisation

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BSAS Climate and Biodiversity webinar

BSAS Climate and Biodiversity webinar

Tuesday 13th April 2021 : 17.00pm – 18.30pm

Livestock are frequently blamed for the size of their contribution to both climate change and loss of biodiversity, yet research, policy and innovation have all led to significant progress in decreasing those negative impacts. The challenge, however, is far from over and the livestock sector has a long way to go in achieving its potential contribution to helping governments meet their net-zero targets.

Speakers

Prof Imke de Boer (Wageningen University) will start the session by outlining a vision for a national food system rooted in nature but is also very much part of the global food system. She will describe how livestock can use biomass more sustainably, hence reducing their impact on land use and hence on climate change

Dr Mariecia Fraser (Aberystwyth University) will focus on livestock and biodiversity illustrating how differences in the grazing behaviour of different livestock species and breed of grazer can be exploited to deliver beneficial changes in sward composition and related habitat value. Opportunities to simultaneously deliver improved biodiversity and increase production system efficiency will be highlighted wherever possible.

Prof Mads Fischer-Moller (SRUC) will draw on his experience of advising policymakers in Scandinavian countries to stimulate discussion on how researchers and decision-makers need to work together, drawing in farmers and consumers, to understand how public funding can help accelerate the transformation of livestock production systems towards a more positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

 For more details, click here

To book a place at the webinar, click here