Archived press release

Government food vision serves up business as usual

5 January 2010

Responding to the release of the Government's Food 2030 vision for the future of food, Friends of the Earth's food campaigner Helen Rimmer said:

"Hilary Benn rightly recognizes the need to fix the way we farm, but yet again has failed to choose the path to fair and planet-friendly food.

"We urgently need a fresh approach, but the Government has served up business as usual and failed to address the global impacts of intensive meat and dairy production.

"The Government claims that consumers can secure Britain's food future, but continues to spend more than £700 million of public money on environmentally-destructive factory farming each year.

"We can feed a growing population without going vegetarian or relying on factory farms, but Ministers must come clean about the need to cut down on meat and dairy.

"With as many people obese as malnourished and GM animal feed crops trashing vital life-supporting rainforests, it's clear the global food industry is failing the world's poor, our health and our environment."

ENDS

1. The Food 2030 strategy fails to tackle the devastating impact that intensive meat and dairy production has on the environment, ignoring the evidence linking factory farms to rainforest clearance, loss of wildlife and greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Research from Friends of the Earth and Compassion in World Farming shows that it is possible to save the planet, ditch factory farming without going vegetarian if we cut back on meat and dairy and eat planet-friendly options such as animals fed on home-grown feeds or animals that have been grazed. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/eating_planet_briefing.pdf

3. Friends of the Earth is calling for the Government to tackle the hidden impacts of meat and dairy by measuring and reducing the global footprint of the supply chain, supporting alternative home-grown feeds to soy, and shifting taxpayers money from factory farms to small-scale planet-friendly systems. www.fixthefoodchain.com

4. Friends of the Earth believes the environment is for everyone. We want a healthy planet and a good quality of life for all those who live on it. We inspire people to act together for a thriving environment. Over 90 per cent of our income comes from individuals so we rely on donations to continue our vital work. For further information visit www.foe.co.uk.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust