SCOTTISH celebrities Brian Cox and Alan Cumming are among a list of stars calling for an end to factory farming in an open letter to world leaders at COP27.
The letter - organised by Compassion in World Farming as part of its new End of the Line for Factory Farming global campaign – has been signed by more than 200 high-profile figures and calls for an agreement on the transformation of the world’s food system at the United Nations General Assembly.
The letter was published on November 17, Solutions Day of the COP27 summit.
The letter states: “If the global community is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement targets and the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, action must be taken now to end industrial animal farming.
“From pollution to the climate crisis and wildlife extinctions. From animal cruelty to human hunger and malnutrition. Take a closer look at almost any global challenge, and you’ll find food at its core. A system based on overproduction and unhealthy food is propped up by intensive farming methods.
“The livestock sector produces more greenhouse gases than the direct emissions of all the world’s planes, trains and cars combined. Without urgent action, intensive animal agriculture threatens our very survival. We need a food transformation. Our people, animals and planet cannot wait any longer.”
Commenting on the campaign, Cumming said: “The amount of human edible food we produce just to feed the animals we slaughter for meat is beyond wasteful – especially when millions of people around the world go hungry every day. We need a food system that is fair, kind and sustainable. That’s why I’m supporting Compassion in World Farming’s End of the Line for Factory Farming campaign - to help change this broken system once and for all.”
Dr Nick Palmer, head of compassion at World Farming UK, said: “This is the first campaign action from the new End of the Line for Factory Farming global movement dedicated to ending this cruel and unnecessary practice as it’s causing a climate and nature emergency – one third of global warming is driven by food production and consumption.
"Our open letter, released on Solutions Day at COP27, sends a clear message to world leaders highlighting the urgent need for action. It’s quite simple – without ending factory farming and transforming our food system, it will be impossible to meet climate targets. What’s needed is for world leaders to put forward a global agreement that meets our climate and SDG commitments before it’s too late.”
