Evidence-based decisions in livestock systems

Livestock systems play a vital role in food production, nutrition, rural economies, and land management. As expectations around sustainability, productivity, environmental performance, and resilience continue to grow, there is increasing interest in how livestock systems can be assessed in more integrated and meaningful ways. This event will explore how data, modelling, and assessment frameworks are being used to support decision-making across livestock systems. Discussions will examine developments in life cycle assessment, systems modelling, carbon foot printing, digital tools, and scenario analysis, alongside the practical challenges of interpreting complex evidence and translating it into real-world action.  It will explore how environmental, nutritional, economic, and social factors can be considered together across multiple scales, from individual farms to wider food systems. Speakers and delegates will examine the opportunities and limitations of current assessment approaches, the communication of uncertainty and trade-offs, and the role of evidence-based tools in supporting future livestock system innovation, sustainability, and policy development.