Archived press release

Feeding animals home-grown could save rainforest and wildlife the size of the Yorkshire Dales each year - new research

21 July 2010

Half of the animal feed currently imported from South America with devastating consequences for wildlife and communities could be replaced with home-grown alternatives, according to new research commissioned by Friends of the Earth - saving an area of forest the size of the Yorkshire Dales each year.

The report, 'Pastures new,' highlights how the UK's demand for soy for animal feed is wiping out forests and wildlife in South America - but could easily be replaced with home-grown peas, beans and sunflowers and grazing on grass and clover. This would also reduce farming's ecological impact and boost the UK's food security.

Friends of the Earth is teaming up with farmers to launch the report at an event in Parliament today [Wednesday 21 July 2010] where MPs will be asked to support the switch to home-grown animal diets by:

- Using EU Common Agricultural Policy money to reward greener farming practices
- Ensuring farmers get a fair price from supermarkets
- Promoting the health and environmental benefits of lower-meat diets

Last week Friends of the Earth launched a new campaign drive calling on people to join their MOOvement for rainforest-free food and sign up to support the Sustainable Livestock Bill which MPs will be voting on this autumn.

Sandra Bell, Senior Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

"Many people choose British milk and meat without realising that the animals in our farms munch on feed produced by destroying wildlife and rainforests in South America.

"Animals should be born, bred and fed British - but pressure from supermarkets and biased EU subsidies force farmers to rely on damaging imports.

"The Government must listen to growing calls for it to restore a thriving meat and dairy sector by helping farmers switch to planet-friendly practices."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. Friends of the Earth commissioned the Royal Agricultural College to assess the potential for home-grown alternatives to replace soy animal feed. 'Pastures new - a sustainable future for livestock farming' draws on the findings and on Friends of the Earth's own research. It is available to download at http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/pastures_new.pdf

2. A land area equivalent to the size of the Yorkshire Dales - 1,712 square kilometres - could be spared in South America if we replaced 500,000 tonnes of compound animal feed imports with home-grown alternatives. This land area calculation is based on a research report done for Friends of the Earth by Profundo, as yet unpublished. The hectarage figure is based on the most recent import data available for soymeal, combined with data on land use for the production of soy and average yields per hectare in Argentina and Brazil who together account for 98% of the soymeal imported into the UK.

3. You can join Friends of the Earth's MOOvement at www.jointhemoovement.com

4. Friends of the Earth is calling on MPs to reduce the environmental and social damage caused by the meat and dairy industry by backing the Sustainable Livestock Bill http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/food_bill_24062010.html.

5. For more information on the impacts of the meat and dairy sector, see Friends of the Earth's What's feeding our food? report at: http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/livestock_impacts.pdf

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust