From the mid-1980s, meat consumption in Italy and the western world have stabilised and, in the face of a well-established food security, we have witnessed a changed sensitivity for ethical issues, such as animal welfare and environmental impacts of farms.
The challenge of livestock production has therefore become that of "producing more with less resources", a challenge at the base of the circular economy, which sets itself the goal of a greater offer, but more "sustainable", efficient, attentive to the environment and animal welfare, to the fair remuneration of breeders and all those who participate in the creation of value in Italian supply chains.
Analysing the sustainability of meat and cured meats means studying in the most objective way possible different topics concerning both the consumer and the livestock production.
This volume presents an interdisciplinary study to describe the "5 faces" of meat sustainability, represented by as many chapters: nutrition, environmental impacts and the circular economy applied to farms and industry, food security and animal welfare, the economic aspects of supply chains and the fight against food waste.

The consumption of meat is increasingly subject to attention and criticism principally linked to nutritional, ethical and environmental reasons. In this context, the point of view of meat producers has never been introduced, who instead have the need to participate in the discussion providing information, details and objective data useful to examine the topic.
With this objective, in 2012, the Carni Sostenibili project was born, which in uniting the main Associations of producers, has the intent to bring to people's attention the results of the commitments of the various operators of the sector offering a point of view for a constructive and transparent confrontation, free from preconceptions and extreme positions, and driven by the desire for scientific and objective analysis.
This text rigorously deals with some popular subjects in public opinion which often end up being trivialized in commonplaces and sometimes transformed into fake news. To mention only a few: the environmental impact of livestock farming; meat and the diet of Mediterranean countries; real consumption of meat in Italy and in the world; use of antibiotics on animals; the relationship between meat and some diseases; what WHO really said on meat.
Thanks to this book, we have a complete and scientific instrument, enriched in sources and updated information, for anyone who is interested in starting a loyal debate on the issue of "meat" free from ideologies and prejudices.

Elisabetta Bernardi, nutritionist, biologist with a specialization in Food Science, has twenty years of experience in scientific communication, as well as in applied scientific research on nutrition. She is involved in projects on food education and she deals with the formulation and development of food supplements and the nutritional enhancement of food. Since 2008 she is member of the expert database of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), of the SIO (Italian Society of Obesity) and of the Scientific Committee of Assalzoo.
She is also Professor at the University of Bari and author of the scientific television program "Superquark".

Ettore Capri, full Professor in Agricultural Chemistry at the Catholic University where he teaches ecological aspects affecting human health. He is director of the Research Center on Sustainable Development in Agriculture (OPERA) which acts as a think tank both in Bruxelles and Piacenza. OPERA's main activities are research projects on education, training, dissemination and communication of the results useful for stakeholders and policy discussion. From 2006 to 2015 he was member of the EFSA and he plays the role of expert in many national and international establishments. He has published more than 250 scientific papers in 30 years of activity in this multidisciplinary sector.

Giuseppe Pulina, full Professor in Animal Science at the Agraria Department of the University of Sassari. He is currently General Manager of the Regional Forest Agency for Land and Environment Development of Sardinia (Fo.Re.S.T.A.S.) and President of the Carni Sostenibili Association. In the University of Sassari, Italy, he has also been Director of the Department of Animal Science, Board Member and Senator. Moreover, he is Professor of Philosophy and ethics of research in the PhD program in Agricultural Sciences and Coordinator of the Scientific Committee of Assalzoo. He has published more than 330 scientific and technical papers.