Food Farming Must Respect The Planet - Teather

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 21st Jun 2009

Local MP Sarah Teather joined Brent Friends of the Earth in Gladstone Park

Brent East Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather joined Brent Friends of the Earth (FoE) at the Gladstonbury festival at Gladstone Park yesterday June 21st to support the group's new Food Chain Campaign, calling on the Government to get behind planet-friendly farming.

The campaign follows Sir Paul Mc Cartney's recent launch of a 'Meat Free Mondays' initiative highlighting the impact of meat production on climate change.

Friends of the Earth are urging the Government to change the way meat and dairy are produced to tackle damaging environmental and social impacts of intensive production. One of the main reasons meat and dairy production has such a major impact on climate change is forest destruction to make way for soy plantations. The UK imports over two million tonnes of soy each year from South America to feed animals - mostly pigs and poultry in intensive systems - and £700 million of taxpayers' money is spent propping up intensive meat and dairy production in England. The group claim this contributes to climate change, destroys wildlife and forces small farmers and indigenous communities off their land.

Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, said:

"The global meat and dairy industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, and is wiping out wildlife around the world.

"It is a tragedy that tropical forests are being chopped down in developing countries to grow food for our cows, pigs and chickens.

"Friends of the Earth's call for a move towards planet-friendly farming is welcome - we need to take action to make sure the system works for the planet and for farmers and families in Britain."

Friends of the Earth's Food Chain Campaign states that:

· Livestock production is responsible for 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than all the planes, cars and lorries on the planet.

· On current trends animal feed production and cattle ranching alone and will destroy 40% of the Amazon rainforest by 2050.

· Factory farms receive more than £700 million of taxpayers' money via EU subsidies

Brent Friends of the Earth spokesperson Viv Stein said:

"It's great that MPs such as Sarah Teather are concerned about the link between the meat and dairy industry and climate change - the Government needs to fix the food chain and use our money to support planet-friendly farming for good meat and dairy for families in Britain.

"Small farms are losing out to huge factory farms - the killer link in a hidden chain that connects the food on our plates to climate change and rainforest destruction.

"Cash-strapped families have no idea that millions of pounds of their money is being spent on an industry that contributes more to climate change than all the planes, cars and lorries on the planet.

Brent FoE are running a series of events across Brent over the summer to raise awareness on this issue, encouraging people to send Food Chain campaign postcards to their MPs to press the Government for action, and they will also be handing out meat-free recipes.

Related Links:

Brent Friends of the Earth.

Early Day Motion on Climate Change and Farming.

Friends of the Earth Food Chain Campaign.