Multi-stakeholder partnerships shape pathways from local action to global impact

On 1 October 2025, the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) and the African Union (AU-IBAR) successfully hosted a parallel event during the second FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation titled "Accelerating national pathways to sustainable development through livestock multistakeholder partnerships."

A keynote presentation showcased the results achieved by the GASL Action Networks “Closing the Efficiency Gap”, “Global Network on Silvopastoral Systems”, and “Livestock for Social Development”, which, together, developed the GASL ‘Efficiency matrix’ a tool designed to assess and enhance the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of livestock systems.

A multistakeholder panel followed featuring representatives from the government of Brazil, Heifer international, Compassion in World Farming and United Dairymen of Arizona. The discussions highlighted the benefits and drawbacks of different livestock production systems in supporting sustainable agrifood transitions. The roles of animal welfare, One Health approaches,  youth engagement and inclusive collaboration in driving change at all levels were also addressed.

Four main point were stressed:

• GASL is driving positive change worldwide through initiatives that have produced measurable benefits in numerous countries. Livestock are increasingly recognised not only for supporting livelihoods, but also for their pivotal role in addressing challenges like environmental protection and reducing the impacts of climate change. By connecting a broad spectrum of stakeholders, GASL is well positioned to drive improvements at the farm level, addressing the diverse needs of different production systems worldwide, while accounting for variations in geography, climate, and natural resources.
  
• Collaboration takes place at multiple tiers, from the international stage down to local communities. Partnerships operate from global to community levels. Farmers and pastoralists face frequent policy changes that impact farm and value chain investments. While it is challenging to scale up sustainable livestock practices from community initiatives to national programmes, aligning local efforts with broader priorities is essential to strengthen agrifood systems, ensuring food security and other key objectives.
  
• Bridging GASL global discussion to local action is fundamental and it is the key role of GASL regional initiatives, which aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and support the integration of livestock-focused strategies into national agrifood transformation plans.
  
• As a result of successfully sharing best practices within the partnership, the African Union Commission (AU-IBAR) is interested in adapting the successful Dairy Asia model - a multi-stakeholder platform within GASL promoting sustainable dairy development across Asia through regional collaboration and knowledge sharing. It plans to initiate dialogue with GASL partners, with the intention of creating a GASL Dairy African Union to advance sustainable dairy development across the continent.
  

You can watch the full recording of the event here.

Visit the FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation website for more recordings and to view the Photo gallery of the event.