There is expectation that the World Meat Congress, which opens today in the RDS, will provide a platform for the resolution of a possible trade war between the EU and the US.
The President, Mrs McAleese, will formally open the congress, which marks the 25th anniversary of the International Meat Secretariat, at 9 a.m.
On Wednesday Mr Dan Glickman, the US Secretary for Agriculture, will hold talks with Mr Franz Fischler, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture. The congress is the premier event for the industry and is held at a different venue every two years.
Some 600 delegates from 30 countries, including Latin America, China, the US and Europe, and from international organisations such as the OECD and the World Trade Organisation, will attend the event, which runs until Thursday.
During the next two days the delegates will discuss consumer issues, especially the global trend towards consuming poultry and pigmeat in preference to red meat. Discussions on food safety are also planned.
For Ireland, hosting the congress has been a major achievement. A team headed by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, persuaded the International Meat Secretariat to hold the event in Dublin rather than in Brazil.
Bringing the event to Ireland marks a new era for the Irish beef industry, which has had its ups and downs over the last decade, beginning with the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry, the BSE crisis and the use of illegal drugs, including clenbuterol.
Delegates will visit farms and meat factories throughout the Republic. The event will also be a showcase for Irish food, especially beef and lamb production.
But the main focus will be on the two men who can prevent a trade war between the US and the EU, Mr Glickman and Mr Fischler. Mr Fischler is currently formulating the EU's response to the WTO demand for the lifting of the ban on hormone-raised beef from the US entering the EU.