A report released by Greenpeace has highlighted that increased chicken consumption in the UK is contributing to the destruction of wildlife-rich forests in South America.
In a report titled “Winging it: How the UK’s Chicken Habit is Fuelling the Climate and Nature Emergency,” the environmental charity presents a correlation between the rise in UK’s chicken consumption and deforestation in South America.
Over the past 20 years, while overall demand for beef, lamb and pork has fallen sharply with UK consumers ditching red meat over health and environmental concerns; there has been a 20% increase in the consumption of chicken.
The UK is the third largest producer of chicken in Europe with its meat industry slaughtering a billion chickens every year.
Ninety-five percent of these chickens are factory farmed relying on industrial feed causing 3.2 million tonnes of soya to be imported as animal feed annually.
The Greenpeace report states that over 1.4 million hectares of forest land, an area greater than Northern Ireland is required to meet Britain’s soya needs and because 68% of the UK’s soya imports are being met by countries in South America, acres of forest and wildlife-rich savannah are being destroyed to grow the crop.
Unsustainable soya
The report further highlighted that while retailers, food companies and eateries claimed to support the production of sustainable soya, none of the 23 supermarkets, fast-food and coffee chains surveyed for their chicken sales and soy usage could confirm their animal feed sources were sustainable.
“All companies admitted lacking even the most basic oversight of their soya supply chains,” read the report.
“Not a single company contacted by Greenpeace was able to demonstrate that it was tracking the full amount of soya consumed as animal feed in its supply chain.”
Despite the environmental impact, companies remain oblivious and aggressively market chicken products with promotions of chicken legs more than doubled last year and price cuts of chicken legs and breasts trebled, according to a market research by Kantar.
Commenting on the report, Greenpeace UK forest campaigner Chiara Vitali said: “For too long the impact on our planet of growing crops for UK chicken feed have been overlooked.
“The simple truth is, we cannot continue to consume industrially-produced meat in the volumes we currently are. It’s why we’re calling on companies to set clear meat reduction targets and be transparent about where their animal feed comes from. Animal feed for meat production is Europe’s largest contribution to deforestation.”
Should the Government enforce meat-reduction targets to tackle deforestation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
81% of military personnel want plant-based meals, new survey reveals
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 27th June 2022
“As the US military continues to seek ways to best support the overall health and diverse needs of its loyal service members, we’re calling on lawmakers to require all branches of the military to provide plant-based MRE options.” The majority of US military members want vegan Meals, Ready to Eat (MRE), according to a new …
Continue reading “81% of military personnel want plant-based meals, new survey reveals”
One more vegan ad banned this week – this time for showing animals in distress
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 9th June 2022
The watchdog banned ads by Vegan Friendly UK and Tesco amid claims of gratuitous violence and misleading information. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned one more vegan TV ad this week over claims that it shows “graphic imagery and gratuitous violence” towards animals. This censure comes on the heels of the UK watchdog banning …
Continue reading “One more vegan ad banned this week – this time for showing animals in distress”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …