Last Thursday, our colleague Cătălina Rogozan attended her first EU CAP Network Thematic Group meeting in Brussels—a milestone that brought together 40 participants from across Europe’s livestock sector.
As part of her role in the LiveNet project, which aims to develop an EU-wide network of livestock advisory actors, Catalina joined the ‘Sustainable and Competitive Livestock Production’ thematic group. The diverse participant mix—farmers, researchers, and representatives from public and civil organizations—reflected the multi-stakeholder approach essential to addressing complex livestock challenges.
The day began with presentations showcasing the latest results from Horizon Europe projects PATHWAYS and mEAT quality, followed by a discussion on the current livestock policy environment. Four inspiring good practices demonstrated the diversity of European livestock systems:
• Silvopastoral farming in Italy
• Dairy cattle and vegetable farming in France
• Irish support for sustainable livestock production
• Extensive mountain farming in Romania (presented by Catalina)
The core work involved identifying key challenges facing the livestock sector and translating them into actionable pathways across three production systems: extensive, intensive, and mixed.
Catalina participated in the extensive systems working group, which developed pathways focusing on: ✓ Proper land management ✓ Adding value to livestock production ✓ Strengthening cooperation ✓ Securing public and market support for ecosystem services
Despite the differences between extensive, intensive, and mixed farming, the plenary discussion revealed crucial commonalities:
- The importance of cooperation – No farm operates in isolation; collaboration amplifies impact
- Communication narratives – Bridging the gap between farmers and consumers requires the right messages through the right channels
- Farming data – Evidence-based decision-making depends on accessible, reliable information
What’s next
The second meeting in April 2026 will focus on available and necessary CAP measures for implementing the identified pathways—translating vision into policy action.
A correspondence sent by Cătălina Rogozan.
