Over 200 MPs have now signed Early Day Motion (EDM) 845, which calls on the Government to reduce the UK's impact on global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss resulting from the livestock sector and to support a viable, sustainable and thriving UK farming industry. The Early Day Motion 845 is one of the top ten most signed EDMs. In Birmingham, the MPs who have signed their support for the EDM so far are:
Signing this parliamentary petition shows the MPs concern over the damaging impacts of Britain's intensive meat and dairy system. This is great news for the Food Chain Campaign.
Our globalised food system is failing fundamentally. It requires ever-growing quantities of land, water, energy and chemical inputs to produce the food we eat. This is particularly true of intensive livestock production.
Factory farming for meat and dairy is at the heart of a hidden chain that links the food on our plates to rainforest destruction in South America. To make animals grow quickly and produce high yields, animals in factory farms are being pumped full of imported soy crops – creating demand for vast plantations that are wiping out forests and forcing communities off their lands in South America. If current trends continue, soy farmers and cattle ranchers alone will destroy 40 per cent of the Amazon rainforest by 2040.
This global system is not working for farmers in the UK. With commodity price rises, farmers have seen the cost of animal feed and other inputs increase. The price of fertiliser grew by 156 per cent in the last year. The cost of chicken feed has risen by £80/tonne in the same period. Pig farmers have been hit by volatile feed costs and the UK pork sector has already seen its market share shrink as a result.
Planet-friendly farming is possible, but the Government needs to change the system. If EDM 845 continues to rise up the charts then the Government is more likely to act.
Take Action
MPs listen when thousands of their voters get behind our campaigns – so please ask your MP to sign EDM 845 today.
Over the summer we will be running exciting events to get you and the people of Birmingham to put further pressure on the MPs of Birmingham, and help the EDM get closer to the number one spot, so check out the website and blog www.birminghamfoe.org.uk and click on Food and Local Shops for updates on the campaign.
