UN organization brings global livestock conference to K-State
Sometimes the biggest innovations start with simple discussions.
That was a central tenet of the ninth Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock, or GASL, which met in September at Kansas State University.
It was the first time that GASL has met in the U.S. and the first time a university has hosted the conference. There were nearly 300 participants from 22 countries who attended the four-day meeting at K-State.
As part of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, GASL meets annually to initiate discussions from varied perspectives so that the livestock industry can respond to its biggest challenges. This year’s meeting was focused on innovations in the livestock industry and their contributions to sustainability and care for the environment.
The group includes representatives from the livestock industry, agricultural research, global nonprofits and many governments.
Fritz Schneider, GASL chair, credited K-State’s global reputation for research, teaching and outreach as a critical component in the choice to bring the meeting to Manhattan. He added that innovation is crucial for a sustainable food system and that a central tenet for GASL is to support and magnify the work of its partners with a multistakeholder approach.
“We advocate for conversation and change,” he said.
