Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership: an introduction

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

LEAP: an introduction

LEAP Annual Meeting

March 6, 2014, Rome

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Background

LEAP is developed on the recognition of :

1. The wide range of goods and services provided

by the livestock sector and the projected

growth of the sector

2. The large interface between livestock

production and the environment

3. The extend of livestock supply chains, which go

much beyond the farm gate

4. The multiple stakeholders involved with or

related to the livestock sector

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Rationale

• Lack of balanced, detailed, yet comprehensive data and

methods on environmental performance, …

• …leading to confusion, false claims and distraction from

focus on real improvement of environmental performance.

• Need for data and methods:

– Environmental performance declaration is on the horizon

– “You manage what you measure”

• Particularities of the sector requires dedicated attention

(multi-functionality, crop-livestock, land use)

• Other sectors are moving ahead and “setting the rules”.

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

What is specific to LEAP?

• Specifically addresses livestock supply chains

• Focuses on metrics and methods

• Addresses a range of environmental issues: GHG emissions, biodiversity, nutrient cycles, water, etc.

• International and multi-stakeholder: private sector organizations, Governments, civil society

• Focuses on continuous improvement

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Key principle

Evidence based dialogue for sustainability improvement

• Common metrics need to be both science based and

agreed (negotiated) among involved stakeholders

• This principle is shared with the Global Agenda for

Sustainable Livestock, the umbrella under which

LEAP is nested

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Structure and governance

• Steering Committee: equal say

• Secretariat hosted at FAO

• Participation is open and voluntary: members recognize the objective and principles of LEAP

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Origins

• October 2010: Initial idea

• March 2011: Formulation workshop

• 4 July 2012: Official launch of the Partnership

• December 2012: Recruitment of the manager

• February 2013: first meeting of the technical advisory groups on feed, small ruminants and poultry

… currently established until December 2015

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Participants to date

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

The activities – 1. Development of guidelines

• Three draft launched today for public review: feed, poultry and small ruminants

• Work stream just initiated on biodiversity and large ruminants

Key role of the Technical Advisory Groups

Feed Poultry

Small Ruminants

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

The activities – 2. To develop a database

on GHG emissions from feed production

Particular attention to the

quantification of emissions

arising from land use and land

use change.

First version of database by the

end of 2014 for:

• Maize

• Soybean

• Wheat

• Barley

• Cassava

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

The activities - 3. Communication

Objective: contribute to improving

communication on sustainability

and progress in environmental

performance

• Ensure broad use of the

products: guidelines and

databases

• Coordinate with partner

initiatives and position LEAP

• Enlarge membership

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Some Key Challenges

• Ensuring international input from diverse

farming and supply systems

• Contentious areas such as allocation

• Impact categories for which science is in

development, e.g. biodiversity, water

• Improve communication on environmental

sustainability

• Enlarging membership

1st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LEAP PARTNERSHIP :: 6 March 2014 :: Rome, Italy

Opportunities and linkages

• Level of engagement and commitment of

stakeholders in the sector

• Level of technical expertise

• Complementarities with several related

initiatives

• Positioning under the broad umbrella of

the Global Agenda of Action for

sustainable Livestock