FAO’s Committee on Agriculture (COAG), meeting in its 30th session in Rome, approved the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation (GPA) — the first globally negotiated framework dedicated to supporting the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector .A voluntary, yet reference framework for future policies
The GPA is a voluntary, non-binding, country-led framework applicable at all levels – local, national, regional, global – and aimed at all actors in the livestock supply chain: producers, cooperatives, processing companies, distributors, the private sector, and research organizations .It covers the entire value chain, from the supply of feed and inputs to processing, marketing, and consumption.
The plan is organised into 4 Priority Areas, 17 Strategic Priorities and 85 Actions .
Here is a summary organized by area.
Area 1 — Food security, nutrition and healthy diets
Food safety : Strengthen risk-based food control systems, in accordance with Codex Alimentarius standards, and pathogen prevention, detection and response capacities.Availability and Access: Fill data gaps on the consumption and availability of animal-source foods (TASF), support producers and smallholder farmers, and improve access to local and international markets in accordance with multilateral trade rules.
Healthy diets: Update national dietary guidelines and promote science-based communication campaigns on the role of animal products in balanced diets.
Reducing losses and waste: Develop monitoring systems, policies, and technological solutions to reduce losses along the livestock supply chain.
Area 2 — Improved livelihoods and inclusive economic growth
Equitable access to resources and services: ensure producers have access to land, credit, technology, and extension services; strengthen cooperatives and infrastructure (cold chains, slaughterhouses, processing plants).Resilience: emergency plans, early warning systems, insurance mechanisms against climate and economic shocks.
Efficiency and productivity: animal identification and traceability systems, feed management, genetic improvement programs.
Decent work: fair working conditions, elimination of child and forced labor, and social protection for workers in the sector.
Inclusion: Involvement of women, youth, indigenous peoples, and local communities in decision-making processes; support for generational renewal.
Area 3 — Animal health with a One Health approach
Disease prevention and control: integrated surveillance systems, biosecurity measures, vaccination programs, strengthening veterinary services.Responsible use of antimicrobials: surveillance of use and antibiotic resistance, national action plans aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, phasing out antimicrobials as growth promoters.
Animal welfare: practices aligned with the OIE/WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, farm-level welfare certification systems.
🌱 Area 4 — Natural resource use, climate action, and biodiversity
Rangelands and rangelands: sustainable management and conservation, participatory land-use planning, financial support for innovative practices.Climate: Research on genetics and nutrition to reduce emissions, integrating livestock measures into national climate plans, evaluating carbon markets as a source of income for producers.
Soil and water: integrated resource management, efficient use of nitrogen and phosphorus, proper manure management.
Circular bioeconomy: valorization of by-products (manure, hides, waste) into bioenergy, fertilizers, and innovative materials; use of agri-food waste as animal feed.
Biodiversity: Implementation of the Global Action Plan for Animal Genetic Resources, promotion of livestock practices with positive impacts on ecosystems.
How it will be implemented
Member States are encouraged to develop National Action Plans (NPAs) based on the GPA , adapted to their own context.FAO will provide technical assistance upon request, while implementation at the national level will require dedicated regulatory and institutional frameworks, financing mechanisms (including mixed public-private finance), research programmes and strengthened extension services.
Why it matters to companies
While a voluntary framework, the GPA is intended to guide national policies, supply chain standards and investment strategies in the coming years .Companies in the livestock and agri-food supply chain—from producers to processors, all the way to large-scale retail trade—would do well to monitor its implementation at the national and European level, particularly on key issues such as:
- reduction of antimicrobial use and related traceability obligations;
- sustainability and environmental reporting requirements (emissions, land management);
- financing opportunities related to the bioeconomy and low-emissions practices;
- animal welfare standards, which are increasingly required by export markets as well.