Experts lined up to speak at sustainable beef conference

Cameron Bruett, GRSB president and head of corporate affairs for JBS USA, the North American subsidiary of JBS SA, the world’s largest meat processing company, said: “The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is excited to announce that an impressive array of sustainability experts will offer their perspectives on how the global beef value chain can achieve sustainable outcomes.”​

The conference’s theme is ‘Sustainable Beef: Building a Vision for Our Future’.

Ricardo Sánchez López, The Nature Conservancy’s director of sustainable food security, will keynote the opening session. Sanchez served as Colombia’s deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, and has over 15 years’ experience in agricultural development issues, sustainable agriculture and public policy.

Bruett said: “Mr Sánchez’s experience, both in the public sector and in civil society, will provide great insight into the challenges of balancing the economic, environmental and social pillars of the global sustainable beef effort.​

“GRSB is a global, multi-stakeholder organisation focused on improving the sustainability of the beef value chain. We view sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement, where the three pillars are balanced to achieve sustainable outcomes. Mr Sanchez will bring a unique vision of how to balance these three pillars based on his experience in Latin America.”​

Karin Kreider, executive director of the ISEAL Alliance, the global hub for social and environmental standards systems, will also keynote the opening session. Francesca DeBiase, vice-president for strategic sourcing and sustainability for McDonald’s Worldwide Supply Chain, will speak at the conclusion of the conference.

Dr Roger Cady, agenda development leader for the conference, said: “We are pleased that we have Francesca as a part of the Global Conference. Her vast experience and real-world knowledge of sustainability will add greatly to the discussion on the future of the GRSB.”​

GTPS, the Brazilian Roundtable on Sustainable Livestock, has arranged tours of key areas of beef production in Brazil in both Mato Grosso do Sul and in Alta Floresta in the Amazon.
For more information go to www.GRSBeef.org​