New report launched today warns that a shift to plant protein as a substitute for animal protein is “desperately needed” as the UK’s food system is “fundamentally broken”.
The Grow Green II report, written by the New Economics Foundation and commissioned by The Vegan Society, declares that the UK’s food system is fundamentally broken, environmentally unsustainable and unhealthy.
It calls on the Government to radically rethink the food we eat and crops we grow, and advises a shake-up in the UK agricultural system as it prepares to leave the European Union.
Key recommendations include implementation of a farmed animal tax and a Protein Aid Scheme for those who grow plant protein crops such as peas, beans and lentils.
Griffin Carpenter, Senior Researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said: “Our research shows that to supply British diets with food that is sustainable, healthy, affordable, and ethical, protein crops represent a win-win-win-win across all four dimensions.
“With a major shakeup to farming policy on the horizon, now is the time to create new programmes and incentives for the development of protein crops.”
Last month’s reports that Prince George was served Puy lentils at Thomas’s School Battersea have seen demand for them soar to new heights.
But the report argues there is a general lack of knowledge from both producers and consumers about plant protein’s contribution to public health and their low environmental impact.
Louise Davies, our Head of Campaigns and Policy, said: “'We are working in various ways to bring about vegan friendly policy making.
“Those who farm animals are victims of the system and many want a way out of the industry. The solutions that New Economics Foundation present could help farmers to transition to more compassionate and environmentally friendly farming methods.
“Encouraging more plant protein agriculture, and a move away from animal agriculture, would be a step towards the vegan future that the animals and our planet so desperately need.”
The report adds that a shake-up would give the UK Government a chance to act as a role model in plant protein agriculture for other countries to follow.
It also warns that delivering a large amount of food to consumers at low prices comes at the expense of almost every other objective that we might reasonably expect from a food system.
The full Grow Green II report can be downloaded here.
