For campaigners
Campaigners can help achieve system change so that farmers in the UK are handed the right tools to protect the planet.
The future of humankind is threatened by climate change. Livestock are one of the leading contributors to climate change and environmental degradation. At least 14.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by livestock, according to the United Nations. As it stands, the agricultural sector generates the most water pollution, and is projected to make the smallest contribution towards meeting the UK’s 2050 carbon emission target.
However, food and farming can change and offer a huge contribution to the problem. Agriculture holds a key to the climate crisis. We can feed our growing population sustainably with plant protein crops (pulses like peas and beans). These wonder crops have a huge range of benefits for human and planetary health. If we want a system that produces, sustainable, healthy, affordable, and ethical food for everyone, then a shift towards growing protein crops provides a win-win-win-win.
What policies is The Vegan Society calling for?
Reward sustainable farming:
- Direct subsidies more towards protein crops than other alternatives (such as animal protein).
Reward sustainable land management:
- Offer financial support to reforest land that cannot be used for pulse production
Support farmers:
- Work with The Vegan Society to develop a package of support for farmers interested in transitioning away from livestock farming
Email Action
Email your political representative today to let them know why we desperately need to shake up UK agriculture.
Personalised emails are more likely to be read and taken seriously by your political representative. Need inspiration? Click here to copy our template letter to your clipboard, giving you an idea of points you may wish to raise.
Send the Grow Green report. Send the Grow Green report to your elected representative and ask them to support our policy recommendations. Find your MP, MSP, or MLA and your AM on the Welsh Assembly website. See the electronic version of the report.
Share success stories. Share plant protein agriculture success stories with your representative to let them know that people from around the world can successfully produce crops for human consumption without any animal inputs.
Share your experiences. Please email campaigns[at]vegansociety[dot]com with any responses you receive, or to get in touch if you would like help lobbying your respective representative.
Keep up-to-date. Follow @GrowGreenTeam on Twitter to receive update on the campaign. Why not get in touch with your political representative through social media as well. Don’t forget to tag your MP, MSP, AM, or MLA, and include #GrowGreen in any posts.
Donate. With your help, we can promote this issue to more decision-makers and farmers. You can make a one-off donation and see other ways to support us. Thank you.
Here are some suggested Tweets:
Protein crops represent win-win-win-win in terms of being sustainable, healthy, affordable & ethical. Find out more in @TheVeganSociety Grow Green report written by @NEF: https://ctt.ec/5PWEO+ pic.twitter.com/2hLXzqD4Fp
Opportunities for sustainable farming after Brexit. Do you support these measures to #GrowGreen? http://bit.ly/2xwgTal
The UK can lead the way for sustainable & healthy food systems. Please support these #GrowGreen measures: http://bit.ly/2xwgTal
#GrowGreen report by @NEF for @TheVeganSociety says that a farmed animal tax is needed to account for health, environmental & intrinsic losses. More info: https://ctt.ec/ew47t+ pic.twitter.com/6K4LmWWNr1