On Friday, June 13, the Constituent Assembly of the Livestock-Meat Network of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) was held in Segovia. This is a key initiative created to put the essential role of the livestock-meat sector in rural development, sustainability, and the economy of many regions at the center of the political and social agenda.
“Meat farming cannot continue to be treated as a technical or sectoral issue. It is a matter of state,” stated Luis Martínez-Sicluna, Secretary General of the FEMP
During his speech, Martínez-Sicluna emphasized that the economy of hundreds of municipalities, the stability of thousands of families, territorial management, biodiversity, and food security depend on the livestock-meat industry. He also emphasized that the sector is in transition, under pressure from new social and environmental demands, and that local involvement is key to ensuring a fair and balanced transition.
The new network, in which ANAFRIC actively participates through the Livestock-Meat Forum, brings together four provincial councils and more than 60 municipalities, and will have a Governing Council that will be appointed soon. This is the eleventh thematic network promoted by the FEMP (Femencial de la Energía).
In the words of Carlos García, president of the Network and of the Provincial Council of Segovia, “if we want a strong rural environment, we need a strong primary sector.” He argued that the primary sector represents the decent work of many anonymous people who support the countryside and the agri-food transformation, contributing more than 700,000 direct jobs, more than €33 billion annually, and accounting for 2.3% of the national GDP.
For his part, Manuel García, president of the Livestock-Meat Forum, emphasized that the livestock-meat industry is on par with other strategic sectors such as the automotive industry, and that the network represents an opportunity to establish a positive symbiosis between municipalities and the sector.
At ANAFRIC, we strongly support this network as a tool for active listening, collaborative work, and the defense of a sustainable, innovative livestock-meat model rooted in the region.
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