Food Chain Workshop Regional Gathering, 23 January 2010

1. Food Chain Workshop Regional Gathering, 23 January 2010

2. Your Food Team in 2010 Kirtana Chandrasekaran Campaigner Sandra Bell Senior Campaigner Kenneth Richter Biofuels Campaigner Vicki Hird Senior Campaigner Helen Rimmer Campaigner Nick Beuret Campaigner Owen Espley Campaign Coordinator Ollie Hayes Campaign Assistant

3. Interactive Food Chain Quiz!

4. Demand for Meat & Dairy 1bn / 20bn / 60bn animals raised for livestock each year Shifting Subsidies £7m / £70m / £700m of UK taxpayers’ money is being used to prop up factory farming each year Climate Change Livestock production is responsible for 1% / 18% / 36% of global GHG emissions 2009 Campaign Successes EDM 845 was signed by 209 / 239 / 259 MPs 35 / 117 / 190 local groups signed up to the campaign during the year 8,656/ 15,444 / 28,875 Fix the food chain postcards signed in total Resource Use Livestock uses 10% / 70% / 90% of all available agricultural land, and uses 1% / 8% / 15% of the global human water supply. New Research Findings According to our report Eating the Planet,50% / 75% / 100% of the world could be fed using free-range farm animal production Land Grab – the UK’s role The area of land required to produce the UK soy imports from South America in 2007 was 0.5m / 1.2m / 2m hectares

5. Demand for Meat & Dairy 60bn animals raised for livestock each year Shifting Subsidies £700m of UK taxpayers’ money is being used to prop up factory farming each year Climate Change Livestock production is responsible for 18% of global GHG emissions 2009 Campaign Successes EDM 845 was signed by 259 MPs 117 local groups signed up to the campaign during the year 28,875Fix the food chain postcards signed in total Resource Use Livestock uses 70% of all available agricultural land, and uses 8% of the global human water supply. New Research Findings According to our report Eating the Planet,100% of the world could be fed using free-range farm animal production Land Grab – the UK’s role The area of land required to produce the UK soy imports from South America in 2007 was 1.2 million hectares

6. The Food Chain Campaign 2010 Part 1

7. Food Chain 2009 – a brilliant start • 117 local groups joined the Food Chain Campaign in 2009 • 259 signatures on Early Day Motion 845 • Massive awareness in Westminster • Extensive media coverage

8. The main aims of 2010 • A new law to reduce the environmental impact of meat and dairy production Start ball rolling via Private Members Ballot - very soon after the general election

9. Getting support for the Bill • Build support for the Bill from now until the general election • Expecting election in early May • Could happen any time from March…

10. 3 Main Areas of Work • 1. Engaging with candidates • Contact candidates in your area get them up to speed. You’ll need to send them: • Political candidate cover letter • ‘What’s feeding our food?’ summary. • The number of postcard and email actions the current MP in their constituency has already received • Photos and press clippings.

11. 2.Keeping the pressure on MPs • New Early Day Motion (EDM 845 has now expired) • Renewing support now will make MPs’ commitment to our bill stronger

13. 3.Keeping your candidates up-to-speed • Candidates can’t sign Early Day Motions themselves • Ask them to support the Bill • If elected can then support it in the Ballot • If not elected will still have helped raise awareness in the political parties • Imaginative ways to lobby candidates • Photos of your group with all the cards

14. Hustings – quizzing the candidates • Find an existing hustings happening in your area • Find out if any like-minded community groups would be interested in teaming up to organise one • Arrange your own hustings

15. Building alliances with Farmers • Winning support of farmers is key to the campaign’s success • They’ll be affected more than most • We need to show that they support our campaign • Much more support for groups to work with farmers • Farmers training on March 6th • Speak to your Network Developer! • Guides to help you

16. What next? • All this activism take us to the General Election. • Post-election we’ll be pushing ahead to get our bill tabled and build support for it • Pressure revolving around 2 points • Private Members Ballot • Second Reading

17. The Private Members Ballot Ballot is just after the election - spring into action! • Lobbying the MPs top of the list • We’ll support groups to lobby ballot MPs  

18. Second Reading • MPs support our Bill in Houses of Parliament • We’ll be in touch with activism plans for this period in the spring • Campaign will begin to tackle the Government on the issue of consumption

19. Good Luck!!!

20. Farmer project

21. Aims • Demonstrate positive impact of our campaign on UK farming • Convince MPs to support the campaign (especially Tories!)

22. “A world without roast beef: who wants that except McCartney and Stern?” Nick Herbert, Shadow Secretary of State

23. Why should farmers support the campaign? If we win… • CAP reform will support planet friendly farmers (including support for struggling upland farmers) • Opportunities for new feed crops • Supermarket watchdog • Research into breeds and alternative feeds • Consumers will choose less but better quality meat

24. What support have we got already? “We have nothing against small scale, low output, farming systems but to suppose this is a model which will feed the world’s growing population is disingenuous. Either Friends of the Earth is looking to use much more of the world’s land area for farming – which really would put wilderness and rainforest at risk – or it imagines that, in some way or other, the world’s population is going to be dramatically smaller.” NFU’s response to ‘Feeding the Beast’

30. What you need to do: • Let your Network Developer know that you’re interested in the project • Come along to our training day on Saturday 6 March in Birmingham www.foe.co.uk/community/foodchain

31. Q&A

32. What else is happening?

33. Food Inc. • Get involved with this powerful documentary • Out on February 12 • Screenings around the country on February 15, that we’ve been specially invited to and there may be opportunities to run stalls • March onwards - put on your own screening?

34. Supermarkets Good news! After years of campaigning by Friends of the Earth and our local groups, the Government has finally committed to a supermarket watchdog. BUT they are still deciding on what the new body look like. We need to keep pressure on them to establish a watchdog with real teeth. Look out for new actions in Real Food News and online.

35. Procurement Every year £2.2 billion is spent on food for the public sector such as in schools and hospitals. Friends of the Earth is demanding this money is spent on planet-friendly meat and dairy, with less but better meat on public menus.   Look out for latest news in Real Food News and online.

36. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) A huge amount of public money goes into factory farming when it could easily be supporting planet friendly farming through the European CAP The CAP is going through its biggest reform ever from now up to 2013 We will be working in the UK and Europe to overhaul the CAP so that it supports home grown feeds and extensive farming Keep an eye out for our CAP policy position and actions on CAP for this year

37. GM Alargeamount of soy grown in South America and imported to Europe for animal feed is genetically modified It is responsible for huge increases in pesticide use in South America and is the secret door for entry of GM into Europe. We will be working to expose the impacts of GM farming and keep Europe’s GM policy strong.

38. Schools Work • Interested in visiting a school or youth group to do a session (eg a lesson, assembly or after-school project) on the Food Chain? • For ideas and resources contact: • Youth and Education network education@foe.co.uk • or helen.rimmer@foe.co.uk

39. Recap on Activism • Contact candidates • Collect and return postcards • Talk among your group about farmers project – contact your Network Developer

40. Thank you and good luck!