• On 17/11/22 at around 20:45,  Emma Smart peacefully attempted to discuss the need for massive climate action with Sir David Attenborough as he dined at ‘Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth [1].
•  Smart can be seen being forcibly removed by police and staff, before being handcuffed by police.
• The action came as Animal Rebellion continues to call for a plant-based food system and mass-rewilding programme.

A high-end seafood restaurant charging £65 per person (minimum) was targeted last night as a local marine biologist attempted to talk to Sir David about climate breakdown and how he could use his position to call for changes to our food system amidst COP27.

Emma Smart, who has previously taken action with Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, said: 

“The Catch is a symbol of excess and inequality in today’s world, Weymouth has average wages amongst the lowest in The UK and is at huge risk of sea level rises. Yet this restaurant still continues business as usual amongst the worst cost-of-living crisis many will ever experience.

We don’t need another documentary series showing us that we are losing, some 150 species going extinct globally every single day. What we need is action. Sir David is in a unique position to tell the truth about the biodiversity crisis. He has the chance to leave a legacy of love, care, and of being the forerunner of a better world.” [2]

Since 2006, studies have suggested we could see fishless oceans by 2048. Animal Rebellion claims that the only way to conclusively address this is by supporting farmers and fishing communities in the transition to a just and sustainable plant-based food system [4]. One of those species is Sea Bass, which is on the menu at The Catch. The Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide states the stocks of seabass in the English Channel are at a very low size [3]. There are no total allowable catch limits or quotas for wild sea bass and catches by both commercial and recreational fishers are not well documented. 

Andy Smart, Emma’s husband, said:

“Most of Weymouth will be uninsurable in the coming years due to flood risk. Ordinary people here can’t just uproot their entire lives, yet businesses like The Catch are continuing to profit from the destruction of our oceans and simply driving the divide between the 1% and the 99%.

The cost-of-living and climate crises are woven together, and a key solution to both is the same. We need huge political change to support farmers and fishing communities in the transition to a plant-based food system. This would produce an abundance of healthy, cheap, reliable food whilst also drawing down massive amounts of carbon.”

The action comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [5]. The animal and climate group is urging wholesale governmental and societal support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come. 

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. 

ENDS

Word Count: 546

High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/plant-based-future 

For interviews or further comment please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://www.catchattheoldfishmarket.com

[2] https://www.cbd.int/doc/speech/2007/sp-2007-05-22-es-en.pdf 

[3] https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/species/seabass/?search=sea+bass 

[4] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/seafood-biodiversity [5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s

The post Sir David Attenborough Pleaded With By Biologist and Supporter Of Animal Rebellion: Michelin-Starred Restaurant Disrupted and Arrest Made first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

From 5:00 am today, groups of Animal Rebellion supporters stopped and climbed company trucks outside facilities, whilst others trespassed inside company facilities, climbing up onto milk silos and the sites’ loading bays. This comes after the group received no response to a letter delivered to Downing Street in August, warning of disruptive action in September unless progress towards their demands was made [3].

John Appleton, a father and former employee of the dairy company Arla for six years and who is part of the disruption, said: “I’ve seen this industry first hand; I know the struggle that farmers and workers go through every single day. We need a food system that works for them, everyone else, and nonhuman animals. Governmental support for this is vital to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies. We know the twin solution: transition to a plant-based food system and a mass rewilding programme.”

Animal Rebellion has stated that its supporters will continue to take nonviolent direct action until the British Government enters negotiations for its two demands:

1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

In 2018, comprehensive research from the University of Oxford showed that 76% of the land currently used for food production would be freed-up by a global transition to plant-based production [4]. This land could be rewilded and begin carbon drawdown, mitigating the worst impacts of climate breakdown. A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek also concluded that the UK would be carbon-negative if it completely transitioned to a plant-based food system [5].

Steve Bone, a father and photographer from Thorpe-le-Soken, who is taking action today said: “A plant-based future would restore the British countryside and all the wonderful nature lost to animal farming.  Farmers can, and should, be supported in the necessary transition to plant-based production. A plant-based future would enable massive carbon drawdown and mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We are offering the solution; our government needs to take it”

The action today comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [6]. The animal and climate group is urging wholesale governmental support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come. 

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. 

ENDS

Word Count: 530

High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/plant-based-future 

For interviews or further comments please contact:

Nathan (Press Back Office): 07466114387

Jax (Press Back Office): 07424947798

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/overview/arla-in-the-uk/aylesbury/key-facts/ 

[2] The sites where actions are taking place are 1. Arla Aylesbury, HP22 5EZ 2. Müller Droitwich, WR9 0LW 3. Müller Severnside, GL10 2DG, 4. Müller Bridgwater, TA6 6DF.

[3] https://animalrebellion.org/supporters-of-animal-rebellion-deliver-demands-for-a-plant-based-future-to-downing-street/ 

[4] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216

[5] https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0qbRS0IuKp4JG0AzXXb5P73osdgnYJ3VBJir88YBpMlajmJg0riNVJFMg 

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s

The post Milk Supply To Midlands And South Of England Cut Off As Animal Rebellion Supporters Blockade 4 Key Dairy Distribution Centres first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

• This comes after supporters of the group emptied out milk onto the floor of Harrods in July, gaining widespread media coverage [1].
• These actions come as the government refused multiple calls for dialogue early this year [2].

Animal Rebellion is calling for the Government to support farmers and fishing communities in a transition to plant-based food production, and to use the land freed up for rewilding as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon draw-down.  

The protests involved people sitting down in the dairy and/or meat aisles of high-end supermarkets with signs that read ‘Plant-Based Future’ and ‘Rewild our Land’. 

Max, who took part in the protest at Marks & Spencer in Manchester, said:

“This is not how I want to spend my weekend, but as the Government is failing to respond to our climate, ecological and moral crises, I no longer feel I have a choice. Earlier this summer more than 60 homes and businesses burnt down when Britain faced record-breaking temperatures and now one-third of Pakistan is underwater from extreme climate-induced flooding. 

“A plant-based future is imperative to significantly reduce our environmental impact and free up vast amounts of land that could be returned to nature, reversing the sixth mass extinction event we find ourselves in and extracting harmful emissions out of the atmosphere. There has never been a more important time to make people aware of the link between animal farming and fishing and its destructive impact on our environment.”

Robert Gordon, who occupied the dairy section of a Whole Foods store near Soho, London, said:  

“Animal farming and fishing are leading causes of our climate and ecological crises. Supermarkets like Whole Foods claim to be environmentally conscious, yet they continue to stock from the destructive meat, fish, and dairy industries. With this sit-in today, we are making a clear statement that only a plant-based food system can alleviate the threat posed by climate breakdown. 

“The minor inconvenience caused by our actions pales in comparison to the consequences of climate breakdown which is already happening globally. Earlier this summer, record-breaking temperatures in the UK saw the busiest day for firefighters in London since the Second World War; whilst drought is putting millions of lives on the line in the Horn of Africa. Our Government must act now to support farmers in a transition to a plant-based food system and rewild the freed-up land as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon draw-down.”  

The action today comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [3]. The animal and climate group is urging for wholesale governmental support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come. 

Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. 

ENDS

Word Count: 538

High-quality pictures and videos: https://show.pics.io/animal-rebellion-breaking-news-/search?tagId=62f682247a65950012f2b629 

For interviews or further comment please contact:

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

Notes To Editors:

[1] https://animalrebellion.org/animal-rebellion-pour-milk-on-floor-of-harrods-as-part-of-plant-based-future-campaign/ 

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s and https://animalrebellion.org/supporters-of-animal-rebellion-deliver-demands-for-a-plant-based-future-to-downing-street/

The post Animal Rebellion blocks access to fresh milk at high-end supermarkets in 4 cities as they begin sustained direct action against Government inaction on a plant-based food transition. first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Statement from Animal Rebellion: 

In the first two weeks of September, Animal Rebellion will take nonviolent action to stop the supply of dairy to UK Supermarkets, meaning millions of consumers will be unable to buy dairy milk.

We have spent months trying all the proper channels to engage with the Government on the scientific consensus to transition to a plant-based future, but they have chosen to ignore us. We have left with no choice but to step into civil resistance to pressure government action to preserve our futures.

We are announcing our intentions in advance so the British public to prepare for a disruption to the milk supply this September. We apologise for any stress this may cause during a cost of living crisis, but the government are sleepwalking every single one of us into poverty, misery, and climate and ecological collapse We cannot sit by and let this happen.

According to Sir David King (former Chief Scientific Advisor to Blair and Brown, whilst also serving under Cameron) what we do in the next 2-3 years will determine the future of humanity [2]. The climate crisis is already causing wildfires and droughts in this country, and the Global South is facing mass starvation and migration. This is just a prelude to what is to come if we fail to act.

The science is clear, supporting farmers to transition to a plant-based food system, and then rewilding the freed-up land is the key solution to the climate and nature crises. 

According to scientists at Harvard University, if we make this transition the UK can reduce emissions and drawdown enough carbon to be net negative in emissions, whilst ensuring food security by sufficiently feeding the population on less land [3]. As part of this transition, we can invest in British farming and rural communities, and also rewild our land, restoring Britain’s beautiful wildlife – hedgehogs, badgers and birds. If we transition to a plant-based future we all win. 

We recognise that we are calling for nothing less than a complete transformation of our food system. This will only happen through bold political leadership, we need politicians who listen to the data being presented to us by scientists from Oxford and the IPCC, to name a few [4]. They must tell the truth and act in line with the severity of the situation we are in. 

Instead, our political leaders are completely failing to take any meaningful action to protect our homes, our children, and all life. Instead, they are worrying about narrow short-term interests of profit and power. They fail to act on climate, just as they fail to act on the cost of living crisis, they can’t even act on their own corruption.

After three successive prime ministerial resignations, countless scandals, and further descent into crisis, we declare that we have no confidence in the government. 

We have had enough of hoping the government will do the right thing. Animal Rebellion, with other movements, are rising up because we believe change is possible. We are willing to nonviolently bring it about, no matter the personal cost. 

We are in rebellion, for all life.

Animal Rebellion

Word Count: 588

ENDS

For further comments or interviews contact: 

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

For high-quality pictures and videos please see https://show.pics.io/animal-rebellion-breaking-news

Notes to Editors

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s and https://animalrebellion.org/supporters-of-animal-rebellion-deliver-demands-for-a-plant-based-future-to-downing-street/ 

[2] https://www.thecitizen.org.au/articles/forget-2050-experts-say-its-2030-or-bust-for-net-zero-emissions#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20to%20move%20rapidly,determine%20the%20future%20of%20humanity. 

[3] https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Eating-Away-at-Climate-Change-with-Negative-Emissions%E2%80%93%E2%80%93Harwatt-Hayek.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0qbRS0IuKp4JG0AzXXb5P73osdgnYJ3VBJir88YBpMlajmJg0riNVJFMg [4] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216 and https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/

The post Animal Rebellion Warns Consumers To Prepare for Milk Shortage This September first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

The full letter text can be found below:

“As a co-founder of Animal Rebellion – a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system – I am writing to urge you to step forward in support of our demands during our September campaign.

During the first two weeks of September 2022, Animal Rebellion will bring dairy supply to a stand-still with the participation of 500 people across the country. This will result in milk shortage in supermarkets nationally, becoming a massive media spectacle to occupy front-page news day after day.

In May, we issued a statement with two demands for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice:

1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

For the past three years, we have been reaching out to the Government so we can stop the disruptions and begin negotiations. To date, this invitation has not been responded to.

We act out of sheer necessity. Hard-working farmers who feed this nation are trapped in a dying, and environmentally disastrous food production system. The cost of not supporting this transition is unmeasurable.

I am certain we share the same understanding of the science that alarmed the world with a “code red” for humanity and said we are at our “endgame”. But there is plenty of evidence that an urgent transition to plant-based food systems and mass rewilding could still give us hope. 

Joseph Poore, Oxford Academic, and co-author of the most comprehensive academic analysis of food production in history concluded that a global switch to plant-based food production would give incomparable positive changes to greenhouse gases, global acidification, eutrophication, and water use. Whilst also using a staggering 76% less land to produce the same amount of food.

A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek strongly recommends a complete shift to plant-based production. The benefits of this are twofold: a reduction of the emissions produced and land used from animal farming and fishing, whilst also rewilding the freed-up land to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This would result in net negative emissions from food production.

These are just two examples from the many studies and published papers that show the massive improvements we could all benefit from by transitioning to a plant-based food system.

I am one to believe that individual people at DEFRA do their absolute best to deal with this emergency. Yet, it is plain to see for the general public that DEFRA`s responsibility for improving and protecting the environment is hindered by the broken economic, political, and cultural systems that preserve a devastating status quo. Social science is clear: such systemic revolution can only happen through non-violent mass resistance.

I turn to you at this dire time, asking that in case the silence from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his successor (Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak,), and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice continues until 31st August 2022, you will stand with the people, and back our demands during the September disruptions, even at your own, personal sacrifice.

“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Your Sincerely,

Dora Hargitai, on behalf of Animal Rebellion”

The post Animal Rebellion Appeals To DEFRA Board Ahead Of Planned Disruption Of Dairy Industry first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

In an escalation of the Plant-Based Future campaign [1], supporters of Animal Rebellion blockaded supermarket dairy aisles and emptied milk bottles onto the floor.

Kat Chan, 20, who was amongst those in Harrods, said

“We are taking this necessary action because we don’t feel we have any other choice. Last week’s heatwave and wildfires showed us a glimpse of our future if we fail to act now.

Transitioning to a plant-based food system and rewilding is the key solution to the climate crisis.

There is no need for the deaths of over a billion animals for food each year in this country. We have the opportunity to lead the way on a safer future built on love, justice, and freedom.

A plant-based food system would provide security and a future to farmers and farming communities across the country, in contrast to the soaring rates of depression and financial ruin currently being experienced. Around 25% of dairy farmers are considering leaving the industry and we need the government to support them in the transition to plant-based farming.” [2][3]

Animal Rebellion is pushing for a straightforward and cast-iron solution to the climate and animal emergencies: transition to plant-based farming and rewilding of the freed-up land. Research from The University of Oxford has shown 76% of land currently used for farming would be freed up by wholesale transition to plant-based production [4]. This land could undergo rewilding and begin the crucial process of carbon drawdown; this drawdown has the potential to offset decades of fossil fuel emissions.

Nathan McGovern, 23, spokesperson for Animal Rebellion (who was notably involved in several Just Stop Oil disruptions in April that included interrupting an on-air interview on LBC and disabling petrol pumps at the Clacket Lane services on the M25) has said

“A golden solution to the climate and animal emergencies is being presented to us in the form of a plant-based future.

Imagine a world in which there is food security, safety, and hope for everyone, where we are not facing the horrors of climate breakdown currently being seen in places like Madagascar, Pakistan, or even 40 degree heat in the UK!

All we need is for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice and the rest of the government to take action that shows they care about the people they claim to represent.

This September hundreds of people will be taking action against the dairy industry to fight for a plant-based future that will ensure prosperity for humans, other animals, and the planet alike.”

The action comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on Monday 23rd of May [4]. Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system. 

ENDS

For interviews, images or further comment please contact:

pressoffice@animalrebellion.org

[1] https://animalrebellion.org/plantbasedfuturelaunch/ The Plant-Based Future campaign is an upcoming civil resistance campaign with 2 demands for the British government: 1. Government supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system. And 2. Government commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

[2] ”Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century” https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000010

[3] https://www.fginsight.com/news/news/nearly-a-quarter-of-dairy-farmers-planning-to-quit-128874 

[4] “Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216 

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq2Jqqga9E&t=5s 

The post ANIMAL REBELLION POUR MILK ON FLOOR OF HARRODS AS PART OF PLANT-BASED FUTURE CAMPAIGN first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Join us in Victoria Park to relax, soak up the sun, and eat delicious vegan snacks!

Please bring something to share at the picnic and together we will create a plant-based feast!

Meeting at Victoria Park at 4pm.

All you need is yourself, we are a super friendly group and eager to meet some new faces! Newbies and quiet people always welcome.

Join our WhatsApp here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HYcMc8iZ140BPOxE6yhp09

The post Plant-based Picnic first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

While the news is bombarded with crisis after crisis, you’d be forgiven for not noticing a small marketing campaign launched by our old friends at Arla Foods. Remember, Arla runs the biggest dairy production centre in the UK, which we shut down in August last year. Their new campaign, called ‘don’t cancel the cow,’ takes aim at consumers shifting away from milk and dairy products, calling on people to shun vegan ‘cancel culture’ which they claim is causing people to give up dairy products due to shame and ‘social pressure,’ rather than facts. The campaign launch coincided with news that due to fuel, feed and fertiliser costs increasing, caused in large part by the war in Ukraine, dairy prices are rising, with the cost of milk experiencing a surge ‘not seen in decades.’ Additionally,  the ‘skyrocketing’ costs of production are  causing many farmers to struggle, with some leaving the industry entirely. 

Dairy = Destruction 

“Considering different sources of protein, the costs of dairy to the environment are probably five to 10 times greater than plant-based protein sources.” Walter Willett, MD, DrPH. Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

So let’s take stock, shall we? Rising costs lead to instability in the dairy industry. This leads to farmers struggling to make ends meet and the price of milk going up. In the meantime, consumers are shifting away from dairy as they respond to the environmental impact, ‘rising animal cruelty concerns,’ questionable health benefits and the abundance of plant-based alternatives. This puts pressure on the corporations responsible for pumping out dairy, as their entire business model relies on people buying milk. 

In the world we’d like to see at Animal Rebellion, the dairy industry would take this opportunity to support farmers to transition to plant-based systems, or support them to transition out of the industry in other ways. Research shows that dairy production contributes to climate change, acidification, eutrophication, and ozone depletion (van der Werf et al., 2009; Djekic et al., 2014), and has an overall carbon footprint which is comparable to that of aviation and shipping combined (FAO, 2019; Ritchie and Roser, 2020). Additionally, a 2015 study predicted that animal-free dairy products (produced using ‘precision fermentation’) use 65% less energy, 91% less land, and 98% less water, while emitting 84% less greenhouse gases, than animal-based dairy equivalents (Steer, 2015). 

Yet, instead of a just transition for the dairy industry, we are instead seeing a response from the industry which is all too familiar. In a previous blog post we looked at how the meat and dairy industry has kept itself afloat by using the same PR tactics as the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. In Arla’s recent campaign we can see them playing out again. If you remember, the formula is simple. Step 1. Cast doubt on the science through dodgy research and paid experts. Step 2. Stir up controversy to distract from the real issue and delay necessary action. Let’s take a look:

1. Cast Doubt

Arla’s recent campaign is a case study in how to use PR spin to discredit science. In an article written by Arla for Metro, they slap down concerns about the impact of the dairy industry and promise to ‘bring some balance back to the board,’ for people who are ‘being swayed by Veganuary or pressured into flexitarianism.’  The article quotes a survey done by Arla which found that 28 million people in the UK feel social pressure to make “critical diet choices,” nearly half felt ashamed ordering dairy in public and 21% had cut out dairy entirely. Rather than exploring why people are so rapidly transitioning from an industry which is causing catastrophic damage to the planet and animals, Arla instead brushes off concerns, writing that there’s ‘no shame in mixing things up from time to time,’ and stressing the environmental and health benefits of dairy.  To top it off, the survey mentioned is impossible to find online, meaning that there’s no way to look at the results ourselves or check out what questions they asked people. 

This is a classic move by Arla in the face of a growing body of scientific evidence that dairy is not good for us or our planet. Instead of responding to the research, they create a campaign which likens moving away from dairy to ‘cancel culture’ and references vague, concerning sounding impacts of avoiding products. Similarly, Arla undermines people’s concerns by implying people are mixed up and confused, in a similar way to how the tobacco industry used ‘experts’ to reassure people that smoking was good for you and the meat industry responded to decreased profits with a PR campaign to convince people that the healthiest breakfast included bacon. 

2. Stir Up Controversy

In addition to casting doubt on science, destructive industries also need a distraction to draw people’s attention away from what they want to hide. With a media that thrives on scandal and conflict, these industries have to create a narrative that places them as the hero or the victim in order to gain sympathy or loyalty. Of course, to do that they need a clear villain. In the case of the meat, dairy and fishing industry, you’ll often find them placing the blame on the individuals who are trying to live in a way which is ethical, just and sustainable: vegans. 

Take Arla’s campaign as an example. In a press release sharing findings from their recent survey, Arla dismisses the discovery that 41% of people saw ‘swapping animal protein for plant-based alternatives’ as an indicator of what makes a sustainable diet, brushing off what others are labelling a noticeable shift in generational social norms as a sign that “cancel culture is playing too much of an influence in the way that we make decisions relating to our diets.” Although in their own press release, Arla is careful not to put the blame on any group explicitly, the news media was quick to read between the lines, converting the dairy giant’s veiled references to the influence of ‘social media,’ and ‘social pressures’ into headlines such as ‘Dairy Giant Decries Vegan ‘Cancel Culture,’ (Gizmodo), ‘Cancel culture killing milk and cheese because people are ‘feeling ashamed towards dairy’ (GB News) and ‘Vegan ‘cancel culture’ hits dairy farmers’ (The Telegraph). 

What we are seeing is growing social awareness about the need to transition to a food system that puts the climate and animals before profit and endless growth. Instead of crying ‘cancel culture’ these industries should be responding to the rapidly changing world we live in and supporting people to be able to access food which is just, sustainable and affordable. We believe that Gizmodo put it perfectly in their response to Arla’s press release when they said:

“Canceling” powerful industries by talking frankly about their environmental impacts is not a real concern.” 

What we should be concerned about is powerful industries using media spin, misdirection, deceit and manufactured conflict to distract from the real issue. Our planet is on a path towards destruction and we’re running out of time to avert the worst of the impacts. One thing that Arla doesn’t talk about in their report is that their own survey results show just how possible change is. People are not only concerned about the future of the planet, they are aware of solutions they need to take and are willing to rise to the challenge. A recent study of 5,054 individuals from Brazil, Germany, India, the UK and the USA even found that, not only did the vast majority of participants view animal free dairy as more ethical and environmentally friendly, 78.8% are probably or definitely likely to try such a product, with 70.5% probably or definitely likely to buy. 

The world we need to build to tackle the challenges we are facing and create a just and fair future for all life is closer than we think. Now we just need industries like the dairy industry to stop standing in the way and support a transition to a better world. If not, we won’t hesitate to take action until they do. Will you join us? 

We’ve taken action at Arla before! Learn more about how we’ve challenged the dairy industry here. 

Want to read more about how the meat and dairy industry manipulate the media to maintain the status quo? Check out the below articles for more information:

How Big Meat is impeding plant-based products | Corporate Knights

How Big Ag Bankrolled Regenerative Ranching

The meat industry is doing exactly what Big Oil does to fight climate action – The Washington Post

The post Dairy: An Industry Built on Destruction first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

The meeting was with senior RSPCA officers at the charity’s head office in Southwater, West Sussex. 

The Animal Rebellion team comprised former vice-chair of the National RSPCA, former board member of RSPCA Assured and former branch trustee, Jane Tredgett; former RSPCA branch trustee, Martin Whybrow; and Animal Rebellion spokesperson, Harley McDonald-Eckersall. 

Animal Rebellion is pressing for the UK’s oldest and largest animal welfare organisation to officially come out in support of transitioning to a plant-based system. 

Jane Tredgett said: “There are so many reasons for the RSPCA to help the world move to a just plant-based food system. It is almost 200 years old, with its anniversary shortly. Its founders were brave and forward thinking, it would be a fitting recognition of its origins if the RSPCA now stepped up on a plant-based future.”

Martin Whybrow added: “It is impossible to meet the targets needed to limit global heating without the shift to a plant-based food system. Already, millions of humans and animals are suffering from the effects of extreme climate. It makes total sense for a charity dedicated to animal welfare to join the dots.”

At present, for all the good work that is carried out by the charity, it has no commitment to ending animal farming and, indeed, with its Assured scheme, helps to give a veneer of respectability to the industry. 

As well as the impact of the meat and dairy industries on the climate crisis, there are the animal welfare and human health implications. Jane Tredgett is founder of Humane Being, claimant in the legal challenge to the UK central government regarding the human health risks of factory farming.¹

Harley McDonald-Eckersall concluded: “While the meeting was constructive, the important thing is what happens next. We want to see real action and a public statement from the RSPCA in support of the urgent need for a plant-based future. The time for vague promises and platitudes has passed, the crisis is already with us.” 

¹ https://78460747.flowpaper.com/FactoryFarmingisharminganimalspeopleandtheplanet/

The post Ex-RSPCA trustees urge charity to take lead on plant-based transition first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Prop barrels of oil were placed in front of the building with a plant-based oil-like substance seen leaking from them. Cow hoofprints and chicken footprints were seen in the oil leading from the front of the building to the staff entrance. Protestors stood outside were handing out fliers and holding placards with slogans like “Defund Oil. Scrap Factory Farming”.

A spokesperson for the action, Robert Gordon, said:

“Factory farming is fuelled by oil. A huge amount of land and oil-based fertilisers are used to grow crops, like soya and grains, for animal feed to be given to animals cruelly kept in sheds. Farming in this way is incredibly oil-intensive and inefficient, contributing to the climate and ecological crises that threaten our collective future. 

Just this week, the BBC reported that animal feed prices have gone up 70% since 2020¹ due to rising fuel costs. This shows that animal agriculture is unsustainable for farmers, as well as for the planet, owing to their reliance on unpredictable, expensive, and environmentally damaging fossil fuel supplies. We are targeting DEFRA today because they have a moral responsibility to support farmers in a just transition to a sustainable plant-based food system for the livelihoods of farmers and the lives of us all”

The Scrap Factory Farming campaign are trying to take DEFRA for judicial review over the public and environmental health risks associated with factory farming, including pandemics, antibiotic resistance, and air pollution².

Notes:

The post “Factory Farming is Fuelled by Oil”, say Environmental Campaigners first appeared on Animal Rebellion.