A constructive engagement with animal farmers

On December 9^th at the Centquatre, a place where most constructive events around Cop 21 took place, the GFC organized a debate on animal farming and its negative impacts –which actually means positive impacts on enhancing global warming.

The event started with a brief overview by the GFC Campaigns Coordinator -who also moderated the debate- of the industrial model of production and global trade.

Presentations on the impacts of unsustainable livestock and feedstock production on forests, land and communities followed. Specific examples from Paraguay, Russia, France (and the EU), Haiti and northern consumers, were presented.

When the floor opened, the discussions focused on impacts and overconsumption as the source of the problems. Many defended the role of animal farming for food sovereignty and peasant culture, while recognizing that the whole spectrum of animal breeding has been hijacked by industrial operations, leaving traditional and less impacting models in disadvantage or, even, out of business. Many of the undesirable techniques applied nowadays by farmers, originate from the speculative intrusion of the agrifood industrial complex, which controls large segments of the meat and dairy market and controls all of the import-export economy.

A clear conclusion of this debate was that the traditional, farmer controlled animal farming needs to be protected from the ultimate take-over by the corporate sector. This could be the only way to strive a balance towards sustainability in the universe of animal husbandry and on the rational consumption of food from animal origins.

Participation was massive at this event and the support for the initiative and campaign addressing these issues was unanimous.

7 Jan, 2016
Posted in Forests and Climate Change