Real solutions

photo_credit: foeeurope

Meanwhile, in Europe non-intensive farming that is good for people and the environment is losing out to big business. Most of the soy is traded by huge multi-national companies and used to feed livestock in factory farms. Trade agreements and agriculture policies prevent European farmers from growing their own crops to feed their livestock.

Farmers in the EU can grow alternatives such as peas, beans and lupins to feed livestock, but at the moment these feeds cannot compete with cheap soy from South America, which is grown with huge external costs.

Friends of the Earth believes that if the European Union is serious about addressing climate change, global loss of biodiversity, human rights, and dealing with the food crisis it must urgently reduce its dependence on imports of soy and promote alternative, home grown animal feeds and grass-based meat and dairy systems. It must also support small scale and sustainable farming.

Friends of the Earth, Food and Water Watch and European Co-ordination Via Campesina are calling on the European Union to:

• Cut support for factory farming and increase support for non-intensive animal production
• Reduce reliance on imported animal feed
• Support animal feed production in Europe
• Label all foods that come from animals fed genetically modified feeds

Friends of the Earth, Food and Water Watch and European Co-ordination Via Campesina is calling on all Governments around the world to:

• Support their citizens' right to healthy, planet-friendly, local food
• Support peoples' right to fair share of land and water
• Stop allowing big business to control the food chain
• Ban genetically modified foods and feeds

Download full soy briefing >>