71. Shaping the future of Europe’s livestock sector: the pursuit of excellence

What would remain of our countryside if livestock farming disappeared? Livestock play a vital role in Europe's food security, soil fertility, biodiversity and the economic vitality of rural communities. Yet today, European livestock farmers are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change and animal diseases to rising production costs and continued dependence on imported plant proteins. To mark the publication of the European Commission's new Livestock Strategy, Food for Europe takes you behind the scenes to meet the people shaping the future of livestock farming. In the Belgian province of Hainaut, the Cossement family has embraced a more self-reliant model based on grassland, mixed farming and short supply chains. In Brittany, Cooperl, France's leading pig producers' cooperative, is investing in innovation, research and an integrated value chain to strengthen the resilience of its more than 4,500 member farmers. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen discusses the key priorities of the new strategy and responds directly to questions raised by the farmers featured in the programme. Episode 71 explores the different paths towards a more resilient, more sustainable and more self-reliant European livestock sector—showing that these approaches are not competing models, but complementary ways of preparing livestock farming for the future.