"Are consumer expectations and demands for meat contributory to unsustainable livestock farming and distribution practices, and to the appearance of epidemics like foot & mouth and bluetongue? If so, what can consumers do to improve the situation?"

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Sustained Magazine

Following recent concerns over foot and mouth and blue tongue, and with the festive season on its way, we thought it would be appropriate to hold this issue’s debate on the meat industry.

We asked numerous interest groups, government departments and businesses the above question and the general consensus of  opinion iindicates a negative influence from our supermarkets, the poor treatment of livestock, a need for better government regulation, and over-consumption on the part of the public. Developing a more localised system of production, slaughter, distribution and point of sale, and a decrease in consumer demand appears to be the answer.

What do you think?

To share your views just click on 'add new comment' at the bottom of this page, submit your reply and we'll post it up for you.

David North
Editor  |  Sustained Magazine

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The Vegan Society

Consumers wield real power over the sustainability and compassion of our food chain. Every time we eat, or shop, we send strong messages to retailers, producers and politicians. Choosing plant-based foods loudly proclaims our commitment to be kind to the planet - and to the animals.

By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet. There isn't enough land on Earth to feed them all a typical British diet, one rich in meat and dairy products. Eating protein 'second hand' in animal products wastes up to 90% of the resources in the food chain.

The expanding global middle classes are already expanding their consumption of meat and dairy products to match ours. We urgently need to 'eat the talk', by refusing to eat meat and dairy products. Is this the ultimate consumer boycott? Go vegan for people, for the animals, and for the planet.

Amanda Baker
Press Officer  |  Vegan Society

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Peta

At root, diseases and epidemics such as SARS, mad cow, foot-and-mouth, bird flu and others are predictable consequences of the sickening and cruel meat industry.

Animals in factory farms are raised in severely crowded, unnatural conditions, where they are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and where diseases spread like wildfire. For example, almost all pigs raised for meat in Britain are factory-farmed. The crowded, filthy conditions in which they are kept cause the animals extreme stress and discomfort.

It’s no wonder the British public is starting to wake up and go vegetarian. In today’s world of virtually unlimited choices, there are kinder and more gentle ways to feed ourselves than by exploiting and killing animals. We should try to alleviate suffering wherever we can, and the best thing we can do for animals – and our health – is to go vegetarian. Visit GoVeg.co.uk to download PETA’s “Vegetarian Starter Kit”.

Marie-Claire Macintosh
Campaigns Co-ordinator   |  PETA

 

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Compassion in World Farming

Recognising that demand for cheap meat has been fuelled in part by the use of vaccines and antibiotics to keep disease at bay, CIWF believes that commercial pressure to produce ever more cheaply means that corners may often be cut on welfare and health. It’s a vicious circle of consumer expectation, supermarket “value” marketing and a lack of vision about sustainability.

For example, it is now being recognised that the average intensive chicken shed may provide just the conditions for avian flu to mutate and develop into
a deadly human epidemic.

Furthermore, animals suffer in appalling conditions, the climate is warmed by greenhouse gases from animal agriculture and consumers gorge themselves on saturated fat from excessive meat and dairy consumption. CIWF is calling on consumers to take the Big Food Challenge and reduce their meat and dairy consumption and only buy cuts from humanely reared animals.

Joyce D’Silva
Compassion in World Farming

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The Soil Association

Meat consumption has increased dramatically in recent years and is set to rise even more as people in developing countries adopt Western style diets. Consumers in developed nations have access to extremely cheap meat as a result of industrial methods of farming.

Such methods have a huge impact on the environment and animal welfare where there has been a move away from local production systems, which has meant closure of local abattoirs, and an increased use of centralised processing facilities. Therefore, animals and carcasses are transported huge distances within and between nations. Such high levels of movement can promote the spread of diseases.

Organic farming ensures high levels of animal welfare, higher levels of biodiversity and 30% lower energy use than non organic systems. Consumers can make a difference by eating less but better quality meat that has been produced and distributed locally.

Emma Hockridge
Policy Department | Soil Association

 

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RSPCA

Consumer demand for cheap food has driven the development of a number of livestock enterprises which the RSPCA believes are unsustainable both economically, and in terms of animal welfare.

Large numbers of animals in close proximity can exacerbate the effects of a disease outbreak but, ironically, diseases such as foot and mouth and bluetongue are more likely to affect animals kept outdoors, and cannot be attributed directly to farmers or farming practices.

Achieving support for sustainable livestock farming requires the retailer to provide meaningful information about the way that food is produced whilst the consumer must be willing to pay a realistic price. Farmers deserve a fair price for the food they produce and must be given due recognition when rearing animals to higher welfare standards.

Clearly, scenarios where bottled water is more expensive than milk
reveals the unsustainable economic flaws of the present system.

John Avizienius
Farm animal department  |  RSPCA

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The National Farmers Union

Ultimately, you get what you are prepared to pay for, and livestock farming has become more intensive in order to provide consumers with quality products at affordable prices. But well-managed intensive systems are not inherently unsustainable, and neither foot and mouth nor bluetongue has any particular association with intensive farming.

FMD is a very old disease, which afflicts intensive and extensive livestock alike; bluetongue is a very new disease (in Northern Europe), which was carried by midges from sub-Saharan Africa and to which animals kept outdoors are more at risk.

If consumers want to buy extensively-reared, welfare-friendly, ‘free-range’ or locally-produced livestock, then there is every opportunity to do so, given the
range of meat and livestock products available. But in the final analysis,
it should be their choice, to which farmers will respond, while always
respecting the welfare of the animals in their charge.

Anthony Gibson
Director of Communications  |  NFU 

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Big Barn

To me, the big question here is: "Do consumers want cheap meat or good meat?' Over the last 50 years farmers have focused on production and allowed middlemen and retailers to focus on processing and selling. Unfortunately, intensive agriculture, with its disconnection between producer and consumer, has led to more livestock disease and farmers only receiving 9p in every £1 spent on food in supermarkets.

An alternative system, where farmers rear free range animals, have them killed and butchered locally, and sell direct does not cost the consumer much more.  The meat is better and selling direct gives the farmer 100% rather than 9%. This money is retained in the local economy whilst consumers learn about the product, interact with the farmer and contribute to the future development of the produce, farm and countryside.

To buy direct visit BigBarn.co.uk or LocalFoodShop.co.uk  to buy online and get a delivery.

Anthony Davison
Founder  |  Big Barn Ltd

 

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The Countryside Alliance

Sustainable livestock farming and distribution practices are currently heavily influenced by the relationship between farmers and supermarkets. Whilst supermarkets refuse to pay a fair price for farmer’s goods,  a question mark will hang over the future of farming.

The recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and bluetongue have highlighted how much the nation relies on the farming industry, and how much could be lost if it truly is unsustainable. Supermarkets must realize that fairer prices will allow the farming communityto flourish and will redress the balance between producers and retailers.

The Government also has a role to play given the accelerating decline in self-sufficiency; it needs to base its farming policies on the strategic need for food, energy and water to support British agriculture. These two combined would go a long way to securing the future of a sustainable and protected livestock industry.

Charlotte Fiander
Spokesman  |  Countryside Alliance