Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1533

Organizers of the 2004 World Meat Congress expect the event to lay some of the groundwork needed to enhance industry partnerships and international cooperation as the global meat trade faces one of its most challenging periods.

World Meat Congress, held every two years under the auspices of the Paris-based International Meat Secretariat, will bring some 500 industry leaders and government policy-makers from around the world to Winnipeg next week.

Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Jacques Pomerleau says the event will provide a forum for ministers from meat producing and exporting countries like the European Union, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and others to dialogue.

"It is the gathering of the whole meat industry of the world so all the major meat exporting and producing countries will be present.

Most of those countries will be represented by their national associations of both animal producers, be it beef, pork or lamb as well as the associations of processors.

It's simpler for them to meet once in awhile so they could exchange ideas. Let's face it, although we could all be competitors world wide at one point, we still need to address the issues that are of a common interest.

The consumer behavior, the demand for meat products, the food safety concerns are types of issues that people need to discuss and try to work on together".

The theme of this year's congress is 'The World Meat Industry at a Crossroads.'

Pomerleau says international speakers have been asked to project where their countries will be in 2010 in terms of meat production and trade and what kind of policies will be needed to support that vision.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.