8 months to the World Meat Congress.

The 21st. World Meat Congress, which will take place from November 7 to 9 in Punta del Este, will gather around 700 key stakeholders of the international meat sector.

The Congress has been declared of National Interest by the Office of the President of the Republic (Ministries of Economy, Public Health, Livestock, Industry and Foreign Affairs), and the Ministry of Tourism. 

Under the organization of the International Meat Secretariat (IMS) and the National Meat Institute (INAC), the World Meat Congress will focus on the discussion of a new global agenda in the meat sector.

The main current issues affecting the meat sector will be approached with a new, innovative format, which will enable to identify the different perspectives: Global Trends, Trade & Policies, Animal Care & Health, Consumer Trust, Sustainability, Human Health and Nutrition and Governance of the Meat Chain.

The main challenge of the new global agenda is to organize the “many voices” to reach “one melody”, so as to face the challenges of the global meat industry.

A series of technical tours have been organized to take place after the closing of the Congress, on November 10. There is a variety of complementary tours including visits to slaughter houses and packing plants, such as Frigorífico y Matadero Solís and Frigorífico San Jacinto, and visits to butcher shops and farms, as Supermercados Devoto and Macro Mercado, a cattle farm located at Sierra de los Caracoles in Maldonado and another one in the department of Florida. 

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Program.

Monday November 7: Welcoming Cocktail for all participants.

Tuesday November 8: Activities are scheduled to begin at 9 am with the opening ceremony and the development of the first item on the agenda, “Global Markets”, is to begin at 9:30am. The aim of this topic is to put prospective studies into perspective. This is something constantly claimed by stakeholders of the meat chain:  they demand production and economic forecasts, so they can be prepared to take advantage of opportunities and safeguard from threats.

“Trade and Policies” is the second item on the agenda scheduled to begin at 11:20 am. The aim is to analyse the effect of policies and global trends on the production, consumption and trade of meat.

In the afternoon, at 2:20pm, the third item on the agenda will begin: “Animal Care and Health”, a topic raising increasing concern in the last years.  The work on this issue will focus on appreciating the dynamics of animal care requirements, as well as the current globalization strategies and the identification of opportunities and threats.

The first day of the Congress will close with “Consumer Trust”. A back and forth exchange of ideas with consumers is becoming more and more relevant so they can trust the meat production systems. Presentations will focus on how to build this consumer trust.

Wednesday November 9:  the day is to start in the morning with a historical review of the International Meat Secretariat and its current strategy. 

Later on, the fifth item on the agenda will be dealt with: “Sustainability”. Achieving sustainable productive systems is a growing concern among consumers and organizations represented by the members of the IMS, so the presentations on this issue will try to promote the holistic vision of sustainability and the commitment for the improvement of all countries.

The following item will be “Human Health and Nutrition”. Many scientists have recognized the decisive role of meat in the evolution of the species and the support of essential nutrients. Within this framework, the focus of the debate will be to encourage responsible consumption and a sustainable diet

The afternoon of the second and last day of the Congress will deal with “Governance of the Meat Chain”, a topic that has been a determinant in the generation of business models, economic stimuli and degrees of efficiency. The idea is to present an analysis of governance models of the meat chain in different countries and their relation with the results of the sector. 

The closing ceremony of the Congress, which is to be held with Uruguayan authorities, is scheduled for 4pm.