In October 2022, Teagasc (the Irish agricultural research agency) hosted the International Summit “The Societal Role of Meat – What the Science Says” in Dublin.

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The Summit convened approx. 170 international scientists, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and agricultural researchers to present, debate, and synthesize evidence around three core themes:

• Meat in Diet and Health

• Meat and a sustainable environment

• Society, economics and culture of meat and livestock systems

 

The Summit took place in Dublin, Ireland on 19-20 October 2022, and the event was opened by Minister Martin Heydon, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Presenters included research luminaries from around the world sharing the latest from their areas of science. Delegates included people who can make things happen in their area - in the room were global experts from different disciplines of science; government policymakers; C-suite from the animal agriculture industry.

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Collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas was a key priority for the event, and the second day included a rigorous discussion and action plan for action to address the major issues discussed would follow. Presentations were recorded and made publicly available in a special thematic issue of Animal Frontiers journal which were actively shared post event.

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The Summit served explicitly as a forum to bring rigorous, quantitative, evidence-driven perspectives into a debate often dominated by ideological narratives. The handpicked delegation of experts and influencers were free to be open and energetic in their discussions thanks to Chatham House Rules, and differences of opinion and perspective were shared and exchanged.

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Outcomes of the Dublin Summit

At the close of the Summit, participants issued the Dublin Declaration, a statement calling for rigorous scientific standards, transparency, and pluralism in science-based policy, especially around livestock and meat.

By 2025, over 1,200 scientists globally have become signatories, representing a broad array of disciplines (nutrition, ecology, animal science, economics, social science).

The Declaration affirms that:

• Science should clearly delineate what is known and unknown, and resist simplistic or reductionist positions.

• Policymakers should listen to full and balanced scientific syntheses, not selective or ideologically driven narratives.

• Livestock and meat systems should not be cast as inherently harmful without careful, context-sensitive evaluation.

 

The Declaration and Summit were publicised via subsequent symposia (for example, in Brussels in April 2023) to present findings to journalists, policymakers, and stakeholders in Europe.