US rejects UN livestock declaration over gender equality references

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration declined to participate in an international declaration on sustainable livestock because it mentions gender equality too often.

On Thursday, Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Paul Welcher repeated his government’s wish to “disassociate” itself from the U.N.’s Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s COAG30 summit in Rome.

Multiple mentions of climate change, gender, equality and the U.N.’s sustainability goals “distract from the core tactical elements within the FAO’s mandate,” Welcher explained.

The plan, which is completely voluntary, was finally adopted by delegates on Friday. It advises countries to address issues such as biodiversity, animal welfare, emissions and how to prevent the spread of disease.

The word gender only appears once, to explain the numerous mentions of women and equality throughout the document. The goal is to promote equal opportunities for women farmers as well as their nutrition.

“The cross-cutting themes of gender, youth and inclusion are considered essential to ensure that the transformation leaves no one behind,” the agreement states.

But for Washington, the word is too ambiguous. The U.S. administration made its stance clear back in March, when a working group drafted the plan, and again in June, explaining its red lines in a statement.

“It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. To achieve this, we will use clear and accurate language,” the statement said. For the U.S., focusing on inclusion comes “at the loss of recognizing hard work, excellence, and individual achievement.”

On climate change, the U.S. does not accept the term but prefers to narrow the focus to “specific environmental threats” facing livestock, it said.