The United Kingdom is on track to miss its 2050 climate change emissions targets while the Animal Agriculture sector is on track to pump out more greenhouse gases than all fossil-fueled based transport including all cars, trucks, planes, trains, and ships.
To bring attention to the failings of the current food system, Animal Rebellion began occupying animal exploitation sites around the city earlier this month. This strong-willed band of Rebels found itself at the center of the media’s growing attention for plant-based and alternative food systems. Their message is clear: The government urgently needs to address animal agriculture’s role in the climate emergency.
On Thursday, October 24, Animal Rebellion members arrived at the doors of the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affair (DEFRA) headquarters in London to hand over the group’s official reply to a government survey asking citizens what they want from their food system.
DEFRA is the UK’s chief government body supporting the animal farming industry. Last week, the Department announced that it will be conducting an independent review of the future of the country’s food system as part of a National Food Strategy – a strategy that has not been updated in 75 years.
The call for evidence comes just one week after Animal Rebellion protesters locked themselves to the doors of DEFRA’s London offices, calling attention to the government’s lack of readiness to transition to a plant-based food system. Leading the independent review is Henry Dimbleby, a London restaurateur who founded the Sustainable Restaurant Association in 2009.
“Populations are growing, diet-related conditions are harming the lives of millions, and climate change is altering what our land will yield. But we can change that,” Dimbleby told the BBC.
Since day one, Animal Rebellion has demanded system-level change. The animal justice group, in alliance with Extinction Rebellion, aims to bring attention to the animal emergency caused by the worldwide animal agriculture and fishing industries that are a leading cause of species extinction and global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Animal agriculture is a leading cause of climate breakdown, ecosystem collapse, biodiversity loss, soil, air, and water degradation, eutrophication, flooding, deforestation, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, species extinction and animal rights abuses,” said Suzy Bond, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion. “It is of the utmost importance that we urgently transition away from animal agriculture and fishing if we are going to build a resilient, sustainable and humane agriculture sector.”
Original source: https://sentientmedia.org