The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Nature Conservancy of Canada recently held a virtual conversation series on the role grazing livestock can play in providing nutritious and nature positive solutions for Canada.

The CCA's Manager of Government and Food Industry Relations, Lauren Martin says cows play an important role as they're up cyclers.

"They can take, they can take grass that we certainly can eat and turn it into a dense protein. They can take food waste, quote unquote food waste, and turn it into something that we can eat. So that's just one example of kind of how they tie into the broader system."

She says the CCA is concerned about some of the UN Food System Summit policies regarding the reduction of red meat consumption in developed countries.

"From CCA's perspective, that's not exactly a positive thing and more over we really don't think that it's a positive thing for either the planet or the people in it. Both from an environmental and from a nutrition perspective."

Martin says the recent conversation was a good first step, but noted that more colaboration is needed.