FAIRR’s top news picks
To Fight the Climate Crisis, Banks Must Stop Financing Factory Farming
The Guardian | 19 October 2021
Development banks continue to use public funds to expand the industrial meat industry, which, according to a recent report, is responsible for 32% of global methane emissions. In addition to fuelling the climate crisis, these loans undermine the livelihoods of small-scale producers and advance corporate power within the animal farming industry. By cutting investments in factory farms, public development banks will indicate the need to reduce emissions from livestock and support highly productive, lower-carbon ecological farming.
EU’s Green Food Plan Survives Lobby Push in MEPs’ Votes
Politico | 20 October 2021
Forming part of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork strategy is aimed at making Europe’s food systems fair and environmentally friendly by halving pesticide usage, curbing fertilisers and ensuring that 25% of EU farmland is organic. The strategy faced unexpected criticisms, with organisations such as the USDA highlighting the risk of poor yields and increased dependence on imported food inside the EU. Despite intense lobbying efforts, a majority in the European Parliament voted to go ahead with the Farm to Fork and to promote sustainable farming practices and healthier diets by 2030.
UK’s Biggest Restaurants and Brewers Pledge Net-Zero Operations by 2030, Value Chains by 2040
edie | 20 October 2021
Following the UK government’s publication of the new Net Zero Strategy earlier this week, a coalition of almost 30 of the UK’s biggest restaurants and brewers has joined forces to promote net-zero within the hospitality industry. To accelerate this transition, 27 businesses have also signed up to the Zero Carbon Forum, which urges its members to advance sustainable agriculture and to increase plant-based choices on their menus. Despite the positive dynamic, critics highlighted that the Net Zero Strategy lacks ambition in terms of the food and agriculture sector.
COP26: Document Leak Reveals Nations Lobbying to Change Key Climate Report
BBC | 21 October 2021
With COP26 set to take place in less than two weeks, a leak of documents reveals that oil and coal-rich countries are lobbying the IPCC to play down recommendations that the world needs to move away from fossil fuels. The interested parties made over 32,000 submissions to a team of scientists compiling the UN reports that outline scientific evidence on how to tackle climate change. These tactics obstruct and delay action to cut emissions as the government across the globe rely on these reports to devise their climate strategies.
Graphic of the Week
Source: CBC News
More Food for Thought
Faux Fish: Vegan Alternatives Set to Take UK Market by Storm **| Zoe Wood | The Guardian<br />Beef Industry Tries to Erase Its Emissions With Fuzzy Methane Math | Ben Elgin | Bloomberg<br />**UK Launches £17.5 Million Farming Innovation Programme | Global Ag Media<br />Carbon Farming Is Growing on Winemakers | Dave McIntyre | Washington Post
FAIRR’s Protein Pulse is a weekly collection of news articles related to the food sector that may be of interest to our members. FAIRR does not necessarily endorse the views of these news articles and assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies found in third-party content.
