What’s Going On Here?
A letter addressed to the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) and other top global financiers, signed by over 100 eco-activists including Jane Goodall and Joanna Lumley, is calling for a halt in investments to industrial-sized agricultural businesses.
What Does This Mean?
Farming is a major contributing factor to biodiversity loss, climate change and species extinction. Compassion in World Farming who coordinated the letter, have documented that the practices of factory farming and the stressful conditions that animals live under also contributes to the emergence and spread of dangerous, infectious diseases.
The letter was sent to 22 financial giants including JP Morgan Chase, HSBC and Lloyds as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It was signed by 94 environmentalists, all of whom argue that livestock corporations that cause unequivocal environmental damage should not be bankrolled.
Why Should We Care?
In the past five years, large-scale meat and dairy farms received at least £370bn in investments from over 2500 financial corporations, according to a new report by the campaign group Feedback. The IMF has previously claimed that the backing helps create jobs and lessen inequality, yet further research highlights that the beneficiaries are largely multinational corporations and that the economic effects rarely trickle down.
Agri-business and large-scale livestock production is associated with myriad exploitative practices and ecological impacts, including deforestation and the pollution of water systems. Global agriculture is attributed to one third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so there is plenty of space for the growth of more sustainable practices such as regenerative agriculture, organic farming & permaculture.
Be Curious!
???? Sign Compassion in World Farmings petition calling for an end to factory farming.
???? Read the report by Feedback.
???? Watch this video by Mongabay.???? With Brexit on the horizon, sign this petition to ensure UK producers – which uphold some of the highest environmental standards in the world – are not forced to compete with factory farms worldwide!
