November 27, 2019

can we have our meat and eat it? – the future of meat production

Over the last year the finger has been pointed at meat production and dairy farming as major causes of global warming and environmental degradation.  Many people are responding by trying hard to reduce or eliminate meat from their diets with veganism and seaganism on the rise.  Meanwhile, feeding a world population set to rise to 10 billion by 2050 is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.  Added to the mix are political parties fighting to commit to reducing emissions to zero by 2050 or even 2030.

Not surprisingly the issues around the future of meat production are complex and the science is still emerging.  The SMC has invited some of the UK’s leading animal science and agri food researchers from The Roslin Institute and Scotland’s Rural College to answer questions about the future of meat production and tell us whether science could allow us to eat meat more sustainably.

Speakers included:

Prof Eileen Wall, Head of Research at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)

Prof Mike Coffey, Professor of Livestock Informatics at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)

Dr Kellie Watson, Director of the National Avian Research Facility, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

Prof Andrea Wilson, Acting Head of the Roslin Research Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

Prof. Geoff Simm, Director Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security, University of Edinburgh