Travelling to Oxfordshire recently, I heard an interview with Sir Paul McCartney on Radio 4’s Today programme about his Meatless Mondays campaign. The former Beatle, who is used to being at the top of the music charts, is number one in an entirely different league. Paul’s essay, “Meat Free Monday,” is the most popular download from Ether Books, the publisher of essays for iPhones.
This was encouraging news, I thought, as it was yet another indicator of the public’s interest in ethically-sourced food.
It just so happened that I was on my way to the Food Animal Initiative (FAI) Farms in Wytham, Oxfordshire. I wanted to learn more about their research into commercial farming systems which feature animal welfare as a key value along with environmental protection and consumer affordability. The animals at FAI Farms are free range and include chickens, laying hens, sheep, pigs and cows. The 1,050 acres (425ha) are farmed organically. FAI Farms is a commercial venture which collaborates with Oxford University’s Department of Zoology and enjoys the financial support of such leading food companies as McDonald’s and Tesco.
On my way home I reflected upon how far we’ve come. I was encouraged by what I saw at FAI Farms. I was impressed by how they work with like-minded farmers throughout Europe. They’re developing a network of progressive farmers who are influencing the European Union and its agricultural practices.
Then, I thought, there are other developments which also play significant roles in exposing how intensive factory farming practices are not only cruel but also harmful to the environment and contribute toward unhealthy diets. There’s Lord Stern, author of the government’s influential report on the economic impact of global warming, who urged people to eat less meat. There’s the report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow” from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, which documents the adverse impact of livestock production on the environment. There’s our own report co-produced with Friends of the Earth, “Eating the Planet”, which showed how we can feed the world without factory farming. Then, I was reminded of The Lancet and its study which showed that reducing adult consumption of animal products by 30 per cent leads to a 15 per cent reduction in heart disease in the UK alone.
These reports – and not forgetting FAI Farms and their development of alternative high welfare farming methods – are helping people to make lifestyle choices like those inspired by Paul McCartney’s Meatless Mondays campaign. For example, in April Cape Town became the first city in Africa to officially endorse one meat-free day a week. The campaign by Compassion in World Farming (South Africa) was unanimously endorsed by the city’s Health Portfolio Committee. Tozie Zokufa, our South African representative, said “It is a triumph. We started negotiating with the City Health Committee last December. Their decision yesterday to work with us on this issue is not only a triumph for human health, but also for the planet and animal welfare too.” Cape Town’s impressive move follows similar action by the Belgian city of Ghent to reduce meat consumption. Countries around the world, including Australia, Finland, Brazil, Taiwan, Canada and the USA, are adopting their own Meatless Monday campaigns.
But as I got closer to home and looked forward to greeting our recently adopted chickens, I had to acknowledge to myself there was still much left to do. Nonetheless, I thought, with Compassion’s many thousands of supporters across the world, and their enthusiasm and tenacity, I know, together, we will end factory farming one day in the not too distant future. When I got home, I rushed outside, gave each hen a treat to eat and told them so.
