(in support of the Redditch FoE Food Production Motion)

In a report titled - `Livestock’s Long Shadow`, dated November 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that, "The livestock sector accounts for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than transport, which emits 13.5%."

The raising of livestock takes up more than two-thirds of agricultural land. The world`s 21 billion livestock animals are increasingly fed with grains and cereals that could have been directly consumed by humans, or that were grown on land that could have been used to grow food rather than feed. The developing world`s undernourished millions are now in direct competition with the world`s livestock - and they are losing. A varied vegan diet uses half the amount of land used to produce a typical vegetarian diet and one fifth of that used for a typical European omnivorous diet.

Forests are being destroyed not only to provide wood, paper and fuel, but also to provide land for grazing cattle and for growing crops to feed to animals. Estimates suggest that the expansion of agricultural land accounts for more than 60% of world deforestation.

Over-exploitation of limited fresh water resources has serious consequences for future food production and global health. Plant-based diets use much less water than diets based on animal products. A study by the California Beef Association found that 120 litres of water are required to produce 1kg of wheat, whilst 1kg of beef requires 3,700 litres. Other research suggests that the difference may be even more dramatic. A large percentage of the crops fed to farmed animals are grown in developing countries, where drinking water is most scarce.

In terms of fossil fuel input, corn production is around 15 times more efficient than beef production. Continuing to waste energy by channelling it into livestock production is unsustainable and unjustifiable. Livestock production is also the main source of man made methane emissions. Methane is produced by bacteria in the stomachs of sheep, cattle etc before being emitted. It is one of the main gases contributing to global warming.

The production of organic meat and dairy products is frequently more environmentally damaging and requires more land than non-organic production, as detailed in the DEFRA document `Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption`, dated December 2006.

This conference believes it is vitally important that the general public are made aware of all these issues, so they can make an informed choice about their diet and therefore, how they can reduce their personal ecological footprint.