Sustainable Livestock Systems Transition and Evidence Platform for Upgrading Policies

STEP UP will generate clear, unambiguous and quantitative information to support greater sustainability, viability and resilience of environmentally friendly European Livestock Production Systems (ELPS). Through state-of-the-art research methodologies and thorough and effective stakeholder engagement, STEP UP will deliver a platform of measures to support European policy makers with science-based evidence on the impacts and externalities of ELPS, as part of the food and wider ecosystem. Existing knowledge on the positive and negative impacts and externalities of ELPS will be collated following a comprehensive science-based analysis of published research and policy literature. Data gaps towards improving the sustainability of ELPS across diverse social and environmental contexts will be identified. In-depth case-study analysis to harmonise existing data, identify deficits in, and opportunities for, new data collection and systems development will be carried out. New indicators for assessing the externalities of sustainable ELPS, considering all relevant value-chain factors will be developed. The multi-actor approach (MAA) will be invoked to ensure “real-life” contextual reference points and testbeds for these new indicators including evaluation and impact, followed by a comprehensive impact assessment and cost-benefit quantification of current and innovative ELPS under various socio-ecological-economic contexts, using best quantitative data modelling methods. Transition pathways for more sustainable and diverse ELPS, forecast scenarios including monetizing impacts, will be identified. Evidence-based STEP UP knowledge of ELPS as part of the food system and wider ecosystem will be disseminated using MAA. Finally, STEP UP will provide a unique and warranted platform to support the development of informed and objective policy measures to optimise the central role of livestock in meeting the nutritional and societal needs of the European and global population.