Feeding the world without factory farming

We don't need to be cruel to farm animals to feed people, now or in the future. That's the conclusion of "Eating the Planet," our latest research commissioned jointly with Friends of the Earth. The report, produced by the Institute of Social Ecology in Austria and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, concludes that free range farming can feed the world without swallowing up huge areas of wild lands. It outlines the ultimate win-win scenario: feeding the world's 2050 population without intensive agriculture is not only good for animal welfare but also "provides environmental benefits such as promoting biodiversity and reducing environmental pollution."

All of this is extremely heartening news because two out of every three farm animals worldwide are currently in factory farms. Some policy makers wrongly suggest the only way to feed a burgeoning human population is to condemn even more farm animals to a life of unimaginable suffering. Now we have detailed proof to strongly refute this argument.

The report is clear about the challenge. Our planet is under increasing pressure. We face the double-whammy of increasing human land use and climate change. Both may well undermine our ability to feed everyone. Feeding the world sustainably, fairly and humanely in the coming decades, as the report says, is therefore "one of the greatest challenges facing humanity."

The key findings are:

• Feeding the world in 2050 is possible without using the most intensive forms of animal and crop production or a massive expansion of land for farming
• Humane methods of farming animals can provide sufficient food to feed a growing world population
• Providing sufficient food for all would be helped greatly if rich countries adopt healthier, lower meat-based diets and food is distributed more equally
• Sufficient food can be provided in 2050 without further deforestation.

'Eating the planet?' offers a number of urgent policy recommendations. These include a call to governments and intergovernmental agencies, such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, to set targets and incentives to support the shift toward what it describes as "lower-input, extensive livestock production." It also encourages governments to support meat-reduction strategies to help reduce animal stocking densities and move from intensive to more animal-friendly extensive methods.

I discuss elsewhere how factory farming is the engine-room of the global livestock explosion. It not only causes huge suffering to billions of sentient creatures but also wastes precious resources such as grain and oil. What is so ground-breaking about this report is that it clearly shows factory farming as a huge mistake for today and tomorrow. To feed the world we must switch to a form of agriculture which is better for animal welfare, gentler on the planet and enables us to feed the world's population for ever.

Please help us make sure this report and its vitally important messages are read as widely as possible and acted upon by governments worldwide. We will use this report extensively in our campaigning and lobbying work nationally and internationally. I will keep you informed of progress. Now is the time for us to act together. Your support, as ever, is crucial to our success. Thank you!