A SEAT AT THE TABLE WITH GLOBAL LEADERS
While you were gearing up for the holiday season , world leaders and climate stakeholders were gathering in Dubai for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference , also known as the Conference of Parties ( COP ), held Nov . 30-Dec . 13 , 2023 . Mary-Thomas Hart , chief counsel for NCBA , and Meredith Ellis , a secondgeneration rancher from Rosston , Texas , traveled across the world to attend and speak at the event .
This year marked the 28th annual COP , but this was the first year NCBA was there in-person representing U . S . cattlemen and women in the conversation about global climate impact . COP is held each year to discuss climate change and set standards and expectations for countries to improve various climatefocused practices . Attendance is limited to delegates , admitted organizations and accredited members of the media . Ellis and Hart ’ s participation in this event marked a huge opportunity to voice the social , economic and environmental benefits cattle producers provide .
There is no better way to underscore the efforts of U . S . producers than from one of our own . Ellis grew up on her father ’ s cattle ranch but studied land evaluation for purposes of urban sprawl , migratory patterns , watersheds and more in college . In her career , she realized there is a great loss of grasslands across the country , so she set out to preserve those grasslands by returning to the ranch , G Bar C Ranch , where she has been full-time for 13 years .
“ I just had this realization of how incredibly valuable my dad ’ s work as a rancher was , so I had a life decision to make and decided that , to make this world a better place , I ’ d follow in his footsteps ,” Ellis reflected .
Ellis considers their ranch a living laboratory . They strive to be transparent and open the ranch to research and student projects . Ellis does her own research too ; she began documenting every species of plant and animal wildlife she sees on the ranch , so far finding 660 species . Ellis also worked with the Noble Research Institute to quantify G Bar C ’ s carbon footprint and learned that every year , the ranch sequesters a net of 2,500 tons of carbon dioxide , the equivalent of removing 551 cars off the road . Equipped with factual data like this , Ellis spoke on four panels at COP28 focusing on sustainable food and livestock systems , investments in climate smart agriculture , and food security solutions .
“ I feel so grateful I was able to attend COP and share the ambitions of ranchers who want to provide ecosystems services
Meredith Ellis spoke at global climate conference to promote beef production . and enlighten people to what we are doing ,” Ellis said .
Ellis worried that her attendance at COP28 wouldn ’ t make an impact and that the other attendees wouldn ’ t want to hear her story but , looking back , she felt confident her voice was heard . If the beef industry had not been represented at COP , it would ’ ve been a loss and detriment to cattle producers .
“ The conference went extremely well ,” Hart said . “ In addition to expanding NCBA ’ s global network , I was able to participate in panels where I discussed NCBA ’ s sustainability goals , including our goal to adopt GWP * as a methodology for measuring climate impact .”
Before the conference started , there was an anticipated report from the UN ’ s Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) recommending a reduction in red meat consumption , especially in developed countries . However , this wasn ’ t the case , and FAO ’ s two reports post-conference focused on the need for efficiency in production agriculture to be able to feed a growing population .
“ The FAO has come to a greater understanding that food security has to be at the center of every conversation we have , especially when it comes to the climate , and the only way to do that while also decreasing our impact is to increase efficiency , something the U . S . has done ,” Hart explained .
While a climate conference in Dubai may feel far away , its impact cannot be minimized . As pressures continue to rise for countries to lower emissions , those international decisions are eventually reflected in domestic policy whether through agency rulemakings or
Congressional legislation . “ Being able to influence the international discussion is probably the most effective way to influence domestic discussion ,” Hart said .
Their time in Dubai was spent sharing your dedication to continuous improvement and innovation . Ellis and Hart championed beef as a sustainable protein and advocated on behalf of U . S . cattle producers , who are the most efficient in the world .
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