While it welcomes the addition of animal agriculture on the COP26 agenda in the form of a methane-reducing promise, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) believes more should be done to reduce the ‘overconsumption’ of animal products.
According the the charity, not tackling the overconsumption of meat, eggs and dairy is a “major omission” in the fight against climate change.
“Agriculture is a major driver of climate change and nature destruction,” said RSPCA director of advocacy and policy Emma Slawinski.
Intensive farming’s model of large numbers of animals, living together in crowded conditions, producing concentrated waste, and being fed grain grown on soil supported by artificial fertilizers is putting our ability to meet climate targets at serious risk and this needs to be addressed.
“We welcome this announcement to cut emissions of methane gas,” Slawinski continued.
“However, we feel this is a narrow view of the impact of farming and food production on climate and nature and sadly doesn’t address the fundamental question of reducing our consumption of animal products.”
The RSPCA is currently running a campaign – ‘Eat Less, Eat Better’ – encouraging people to buy higher welfare products and reduce the amount of meat and other animal products they consume.
“We know this will have a significant impact on animal welfare and the environment,” Slawinski concluded.
