Symposium 2025

The future role of livestock in global food systems is a hotly contested topic. On the one hand, the growth of livestock production globally, and the scale of associated land and other resource use, contribute to global climate and nature challenges. On the other hand, livestock production, and consumption of livestock-sourced foods, make significant contributions to lives and livelihoods globally.

The 2025 symposium will highlight the work of the Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, other staff and students of the School, and our partners globally, in addressing these challenges. The Symposium will explore livestock’s role in nutrition and health, nature and climate change mitigation and adaptation, and in livelihoods and a just transition, in a range of contexts.

Registration

Early bird tickets for this event are £35 - £70 until the 5^th March then £45 – £90. The last booking date will be 10^th April.

Speaker profiles

Jacqueline Tereza da Silva

PhD Candidate in Agriculture and Food Security, Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Jacqueline is a Public Health Nutritionist interested in promoting healthy, equitable and sustainable diets for everyone. Her PhD research in the Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems explored the social implications of dietary transitions and sustainable livestock intensification in Brazil. She is a nutrition expert for analysis of food consumption data at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Lindsay Jaacks

Personal Chair of Global Health and Nutrition, Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Lindsay Jaacks holds a Personal Chair of Global Health and Nutrition at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to moving to Scotland, she was on the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. Formally trained in biology, nutrition and epidemiology, her research aims to understand the human health co-benefits of sustainable food transitions.

Philip Thornton

Research and Innovation Strategist with Clim-Eat

Philip was latterly flagship leader for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).  He is an Emeritus Fellow, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya; an Honorary Professor in the School of Geosciences, and RDSVS, University of Edinburgh; Visiting Professor, Food Systems and Global Change, Cornell University, and a member of the Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems Strategic Advisory Group.

Alfy Gathorne-Hardy

Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Resource Use, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh and the Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

Alfy’s career has spanned academia, consultancy, parliament and government including a secondment to Defra to develop the Government’s Bioenergy Sustainability Criteria. Alfy’s academic research examines the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems.

Masoud Ghaderi-Zefreh

Core scientist, Genetics and Genomics Division, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Masoud is a mathematician and quantitative geneticist. His research has been focusing on developing mathematical models and computational methods to measure and improve resilience in livestock.

Isabelle Baltenweck

Program Leader (interim): People Policies and Institutions, International Livestock Research Institute

Isabelle is a development economist with twenty years of post-doctoral experience in agricultural systems in Africa, South and South-East Asia, with a focus on livestock value chains. She is a Visiting Professor in Global Agriculture and Food Systems.

Mariana Hase Ueta

Postdoctoral Researcher, Wageningen University

Mariana Hase Ueta is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Wageningen University Research, developing interdisciplinary work at the intersection of food sociology, sustainable diets, and emerging technologies. Over the last years, she has been investigating the process through which Cellular Agriculture and Precision Fermentation technologies can become food and be embedded in society.

Mizeck Chagunda

Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Mizeck is an animal breeding and quantitative genetics expert who has pioneered research on developing innovative techniques for quantifying, measuring, and defining phenotypes for difficult-to-measure traits related to disease resistance, adaptation, resilience and enteric methane emissions, and explored the role of these phenotypes in genetic improvement of livestock. 

Poster Sessions

Proposals for posters on the Symposium themes are welcome – especially from early career researchers.

Please submit a 250-word abstract for proposed posters by 5pm on Friday 21 March via the email address below.

We will confirm posters selected for presentation by 31 March.

Location 

The symposium is taking place in the William Dick Building, which is part of the Easter Bush campus of the University of Edinburgh.

Contact us 

If you have any questions about this event please contact us by email: