Greg Sawyer Presents on Sustainable Livestock at the UNFAO Conference in Rome
Greg Sawyer, Neogen Australasia’s On-farm Senior Sheep Specialist, recently attended the Second Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome.
The conference brought together global leaders, researchers, and practitioners to advance sustainable livestock systems under the theme ‘Fostering Change, Scaling Innovations, and Driving Solutions.’
29 September 2025, Rome, Italy. Side Event: Innovating for inclusive and resilient livestock systems. FAO 2025 global conference on sustainable livestock transformation. FAO Headquarters (Iran Room).
©FAO/Giorgio Cosulich de Pecine. Copyright ©FAO
FAO LEAP Guidelines:
A major highlight of the event was the release of the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) guidelines, ‘Ecosystem Services Assessment in Agroecosystems.’ Greg was among the global scientists contributing to these guidelines over the past two and a half years.
The guidelines recognise the multifunctionality of livestock systems and provide a harmonised framework for assessing biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic contributions. Importantly, they define ecosystem services as ‘the direct and indirect contributions of agroecosystems to human well-being.’
Presentation: Enhancing Ecosystem Services via Livestock Grazing
Building on this foundation and drawing on over 30 years of experience with Australian rangeland producers, Greg was invited to present on ‘Enhancement of Ecosystem Services in the Rangelands via Livestock Grazing.’
His presentation examined how adaptive grazing management can restore ecological function and resilience in rangeland systems, showing that livestock, when managed strategically, are key facilitators of ecosystem renewal rather than agents of degradation. Well-managed livestock can improve land health while maintaining or improving productivity.
Strategic grazing and monitoring can increase growth, reproduction, and overall efficiency, linking practical herd/flock management with broader environmental benefits.
What This Means for Sheep Producers
Greg has expertise in livestock genetics and precision livestock management, and Neogen provides tools that support producers in using data to inform management decisions.
Genomic selection can help identify animals with desirable traits for growth, reproduction, and resilience.
Livestock monitoring provides performance data, and producers can combine this with information about land and grazing practices to better understand potential impacts on pasture and ecosystem health.
Integrating genomic data with management decisions allows producers to track productivity outcomes.
This approach reflects Neogen’s focus on precision livestock genomics and demonstrates how combining scientific tools with practical management can contribute to more informed farm decisions.
Chat with Greg
For practical advice on applying these insights to your own sheep enterprise, contact Greg Sawyer at gsawyer@neogen.com
