Government food strategy will cook the planet

Commenting on the UK government’s National Food Strategy, Louisa Casson, head of food and forests, Greenpeace UK:

“By ignoring climate scientists and its own experts in favour of industry lobbyists, the government has published a strategy that, ultimately, will only perpetuate a broken food system and see our planet cook itself.

“A boost in fruit and veg production would be welcome but without detailed support and a transition plan to reduce meat and dairy, the UK will continue wasting vast amounts of land here and abroad to grow animal feed. In the UK that land could grow more nutritious and affordable food for people and, in Brazil, those forests destroyed for livestock feed crops are home to Indigenous Peoples and critical for the world’s climate.

“Without significant cuts to meat and dairy, we could stop using fossil fuels tomorrow and still be heading for catastrophic levels of warming to our planet far beyond 1.5C.”