GOVERNMENT

SABRINA BARR: 'Scientists are imploring members of the public to eat less meat as they warn that the world is facing a climate emergency. In a paper published today in journal BioScience, a global team of scientists have declared a climate emergency, detailing six areas of action they say must be addressed that can help slow down the impact of climate change. The paper, which features more than 11,000 scientist signatories from 153 countries, was authored by scientists from the University of Sydney, Oregon State University, the University of Cape Town and Tufts University. The team of…

MATTHEW ZAMPA: 'The UK’s food and farming systems are in crisis. For years, climate groups and scientists around the world have called for a plant-based food system to avert climate breakdown. When will the government act?... The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affair (DEFRA)... DEFRA is the UK’s chief government body supporting the animal farming industry... The Department announced that it will be conducting an independent review of the future of the country’s food system as part of a National Food Strategy – a strategy that has not been updated in 75 years... To bring…

NATHAN OWENS: 'A federal bill that would require that plant- and cell-based meat products be labeled as "imitation" was introduced in Washington last week. The bill has the support of farmers and ranchers. Others call it an unnecessary overreach. Plant-based foods created to look, feel and taste like beef or chicken are growing in popularity. Lawmakers have tried, and succeeded at times, to pass laws that call for producers of such products to be fined for improper labeling. Their reasoning is that shoppers are unintentionally buying meatless meats instead of the real thing... To address…

LEIGHTON AKIO WOODHOUSE: 'The meat industry depends, more than anything else, on walls. The walls of farms and slaughterhouses prevent consumers from seeing what the production of their food really looks like. They prevent journalists and activists from exposing unethical, even criminal acts within. They enable corporations to paint happy, bucolic pictures of their operations that bear no resemblance to the reality of modern-day factory farming. To get inside those walls, over the last two decades, dozens of activists have gone undercover, finding employment on factory farms and wearing…

GE FREE NZ: 'AgResearch annual report (2019) on genetically engineered (GE) animal trials reinforce the findings of Friends of the Earth Genetically Engineered Animals: From Lab to Factory Farm report. The reports detail that all GE techniques have the …AgResearch annual report (2019) on genetically engineered (GE) animal trials reinforce the findings of Friends of the Earth ‘Genetically Engineered Animals: From Lab to Factory Farm’ report. The report detail that all GE techniques have the ability to cause unintended effects leading to horrific suffering for the sentient animals who undergo…

GHANIM AL-SULAITI: 'As ‘The Year of the Vegan 2019' continues, four countries have taken a huge step for the industry by uniting to form an alliance, known as the ‘Vegan World Alliance (VWA)’. The alliance aims to promote vegan values on a global scale. The VWA consists of four activist groups from The Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. The alliance envisions a world in which all people agree that all animals (human and non-human) are or maybe sentient beings that are subjectively aware of, and able to value their own lives. VWA says “Everyone understands that animals…

SOPHIE KEVANY: 'There’s an expectation that information worth knowing will find its way into the headlines. War, famine, disease, hurricane paths... and, more recently, climate change. It’s all there. One item, however, regularly escapes scrutiny: the role our animal-centric food production plays in global warming and environmental pollution. Estimates vary, but animals reared for beef, milk, cheese, eggs and other consumer products create between 14.5% and 51% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to a recent study published by Sentient Media, a more realistic figure could be…

HANNAH BLEAU: 'Democrat presidential candidates took part in the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry in Iowa Saturday, which featured thousands of sizzling steaks. Their participation follows weeks of climate change alarmism from the presidential candidates, many of whom have signaled support for limiting beef consumption in order to combat what they say is a looming climate catastrophe. According to reports, organizers were prepared to grill roughly 10,500 steaks plus 1,000 vegan burgers. Seventeen candidates attended the event, including: Joe Biden (D) Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Sen.…

CARMEN REINICKE: 'It may soon be legal to call a veggie burger a veggie burger in Mississippi... A new regulation proposed by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture reverses an earlier labelling law that made it a crime for vegan companies to use words like "burger" "bacon" and "hot dog" on products not derived from animal protein. The change is the result of a First Amendment lawsuit brought against the state by Upton's Naturals and the Plant Based Foods Association, with the Institute for Justice. Upton's sued the state of Mississippi saying that the regulation violated its First…

LAURA REILEY: 'For decades veggie burgers were the token offering to vegans at the backyard barbecue... But as plant-based meat goes from an afterthought to a financial juggernaut that aims to change how most people eat, the opposition has suddenly awakened: Many of the country's 800,000 cattle ranchers have declared war on newcomers Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, which use technology to make products that hew closely to the taste and texture of meat, and now "first-generation" veggie burgers and similar products are caught in the crossfire... In 2019, officials in nearly 30 states have…