World Animal Protection together with Animal Welfare organizations has urged consumers to eat less meat and save the planet.
Speaking in Nairobi at the end of two-day African Protein Summit, the group noted that the surging demand for meat has led to the growth of industrial animal farms which contribute to a warm, hotter and unpredictable climate. By eating less meat, and from higher welfare production systems and alternative proteins, there will be less greenhouse gas emission leading to less effects of climate change.
The summit also urged governments in Africa to put a temporary ban on industrial livestock systems that endanger animals and contribute to climate change.
“The skyrocketing demand for meat has billions of stressed animals mutilated and confined to cramped and barren cages or pens for their whole lives. Animals cruelly packed in such shades are often immensely stressed leaving them prone to infection by bacteria or parasites that can cause foodborne illness in humans, such as Salmonella” says Dr. Victor Yamo, the Farming Campaigns Manager at World Animal Protection.
“We urge African governments to recognize the inter-connectivity between public health and planetary impacts of industrialized farming systems and commit to stopping the support for these systems. The commitment in the form of a moratorium on industrial livestock production systems should be within the National Climate action plans (known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)) in recognition of these systems contribution to climate impacts. The African governments must also develop and implement national One Health, One Welfare action plans that recognize the health impacts of industrialized livestock and restrict its growth”. He continued.
“We recognize that, the change will be slow but sure and that Systemic shifts are needed to deliver the biggest health gains for our population. Some of those include re-orientating subsidies away from factory farming towards humane and sustainable practices, improving affordability of plant-based foods, and providing transition support for farmers no longer wishing to engage in factory farming.” Said Dr. Victor Yamo.
