Table of Contents

Media Assistance

Conference Photos

Canada to host international Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture conference

PDF Print Version

Date posted: August 26, 2010

Few science issues have attracted as much interest and debate as greenhouse gases, and animal agriculture is directly involved. Now Canada will host a showcase of some of the top science, people and progress in this area from around the globe.

The 4th International Conference on Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture will take place Oct. 3 to 8 in Banff, Alta.

"Progress on greenhouse gas mitigation is critical for sustainable animal agriculture worldwide," says Dr. Sean McGinn, Conference Chair. "This conference is an opportunity for the leading scientists in this area globally to present the latest advances and knowledge, to provide information that industry and governments need to achieve practical and cost-effective solutions."

While the conference participants are drawn primarily from the scientific community, the information presented has strong relevance for producers, industry and policy developers involved with animal agriculture. For example, along with technical workshops and sessions, the conference will include discussion of specific livestock production strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ideas related to industry benchmarks and mitigation targets.

"The conference is designed for researchers but a major priority will also be to get relevant information out to producers and industry," says McGinn, a researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alta.

The conference committee has established a communications program that will include a range of reports out of the meeting, from stories highlighting specific presentations to blog-style updates on key developments and observations from in and around the conference. Links to these reports, including several presented ahead of the conference, will be available on the conference website, www.ggaa2010.org. Materials on the site will be available for media and stakeholder use, along with additional resources such as photos and contacts for further information.

The Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture conferences have established a successful track record with previous conferences in Japan, Switzerland and New Zealand. "Registrations and representation have been strong again this year and we anticipate another strong event," says McGinn. "Over 350 delegates are expected from more than 39 different countries. Most of the delegates are active scientists in this field, with about 10 percent involved with industry and government policy."

The program for the Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture conference, at the Banff Park Lodge, kicks off Sunday, Oct. 3, with a series of workshops related to measuring and modeling greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. The main program begins Monday with "big picture" perspectives on the role of livestock production in greenhouse gas issues, the implications of emissions from livestock manure and the opportunity for biogas capture.

The remainder of the week includes a range of high profile topics on the issue, including discussion of specific measurement and mitigation strategies that show promise to help industry and government set benchmarks and tackle emissions challenges.

As a wrap-up session on Friday, the Global Research Alliance (GRA Livestock) will hold an open session to allow conference delegates to get first-hand information on this innovative global initiative, which aims to bring countries together to find ways of growing more food without growing greenhouse gas emissions.

The 4th International Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture Conference is sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand), the Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network, the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, Climate Change Central, Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Dairy Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the Canadian Pork Council. More information on the conference is available at www.ggaa2010.org.