Push for planet-friendly feed
6 August 2009

The Government has an opportunity to help the UK reduce its reliance on imported soy to feed farm animals.

They are reviewing the payments that farmers get for growing alternatives to soy - like peas and beans.

A shift towards these alternatives could:

Help farmers
Soaring global feed prices hit UK farmers hard.
Curb deforestation
Soy production wipes out rainforests and other habitats.
Cut carbon emissions
Deforestation is one of the major drivers of climate change.

They could also increase food security - making for more reliable and sustainable food supplies. Climate change makes this increasingly important.

What can be done?

These subsidies make it easier for farmers to grow alternatives.

Government must set them as high as the European rules allow to help encourage more planet-friendly farming.

And they should stop propping-up factory farming with our money.

They currently spend £700 million a year funding it through the European Common Agricultural Policy.

Take action

Please ask Agriculture Minister Jim Fitzpatrick to sort out the subsidies today.

Push for planet-friendly feed

Dear Minister,

The Government's vision for the UK food system is one that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Planned changes to the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) give you an opportunity to step closer to this goal. We must increase the payments made to farmers growing protein crops to help reduce our reliance on imported soy. This would have a number of benefits for the UK food system: - Help farmers - Soaring global feed prices have hit farmers hard. Farmers should be supported to become less dependent on imported feeds. - Increase food security - a shift away from imported soy would increase food security in the UK and Latin American countries. - Curb deforestation - soy production in one of the major drivers of deforestation in Latin America. Animal feed is biggest driver of increased soy production. I urge you to overhaul the CAP so that it helps UK farmers to grow alternative proteins and home grown feeds. This can be done by promoting the Protein Crop Premium. You must also put forward proposals for CAP reform that removes all support for damaging factory farming and promotes extensive farming and feeding systems. I look forward to hearing from you.

You can contact me by email (preferably - to save resources) or at the following address:

Required data

Title

Please choose a title

First name

Surname

Postcode

Find Address

House Name / No.

Street

Town / City

Country

Please enter your country

Please tick this box if you would like Friends of the Earth to use the contact details you have supplied, including your email address, to keep you up to date on our work and what you are helping us to achieve.

Friends of the Earth is a collective name for Friends of the Earth Trust, registered charity 281681, company number 1533942, and Friends of the Earth Limited, company number 1012357, both of which may use the above information. In both cases the registered office is at 26-28 Underwood Street, London, N1 7JQ.

Push for planet-friendly feed 6 August 2009

What can be done?

Take action

Push for planet-friendly feed

News

Briefings and Reports

Push for planet-friendly feed
6 August 2009