Valencia hosted the dialogue forum “Science, Health and Flavour: Animal Protein Mission”, held at the Valencia campus of CEU Cardenal Herrera University, bringing together more than 500 attendees, including academics, students, nutrition and health experts, institutional representatives and professionals from the livestock and meat sector
The event underlined the strategic role of animal protein in human nutrition from a scientific, rigorous and informative perspective, as well as the importance of the livestock and meat sector for the Spanish economy and rural areas. More than two million people in Spain earn their living directly or indirectly from the meat value chain.
During the opening session, the Secretary General for Agricultural Resources and Food Security at the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Ana Rodríguez Castaño, described the livestock sector as “a true productive powerhouse” and stressed the need to counter narratives that question the production system, highlighting its sustainability and economic viability.
From a scientific standpoint, several presentations addressed the role of animal protein in human evolution, health and contemporary dietary models, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based debate and the need to distinguish between verified data and widespread myths.
The event concluded with a broad reflection on the regulatory, environmental and social challenges facing the livestock and meat sector, as well as a gastronomic discussion that reaffirmed the value of meat in culinary tradition and the Mediterranean diet.
