Teagasc researchers appointed to FAO Livestock Sustainability Group
Teagasc researchers, Professor David Kenny and Dr Jonathan Herron have been co-opted on to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership.
As Technical Advisory Group author members, and joining 42 international experts, Professor Kenny and Dr Herron will help co-develop new guidelines on integrating livestock greenhouse gas mitigation measures into national emissions inventories.
This work will support countries in accurately reporting livestock mitigation actions in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting requirements.
Professor Kenny is Head of the Animal and Bioscience Research Department at Teagasc, with more than 25 years’ experience in cattle performance, feed efficiency and methane emissions research. Dr Herron leads the development of the AgNav digital environmental performance platform, supporting farm-level decision-making and sustainable livestock systems.
Speaking on the appointment, Professor David Kenny said: “Having been a co-lead on a previous FAO International Technical Advisory Group focussed on the sources, quantification and metrics of methane emissions from livestock, I have observed, first hand, the impact of harnessing the collective knowledge and insights of leading global experts, culminating in the publication of a major state-of-the-art report. I have no doubt that the current FAO initiative will equally deliver warranted clarity, guidance and recommendations on the development of accurate national livestock related greenhouse gas inventories.