The Landworkers’ Alliance join the movement for less and better meat and dairy.
The Landworkers’ Alliance is a union of farmers, growers and land-based workers. They aim to improve the livelihoods of their members and create a better food system for everyone. They work with farmers to improve working conditions and pay. They support growers and farmers to help people access healthy and affordable food from local producers.
The Landworker’s Alliance support their members to have a positive environmental impact and highlight the positive action farmers and growers are already taking.
Simon Billing, Executive Dierector of Eating Better has said: ‘The Landworkers’ Alliance will bring experience from farmers and growers to the coalition, joining other farmer-led organisations such as the Pasture Fed Livestock Association, LEAF, Nature Friendly Farming Network and The Biodynamic Association'
‘The UK Government has this week laid out legislation setting out that the UK will contribute ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To make this a reality what we eat and how we produce it has to be part of the solution. It’s a complex challenge which no one can achieve on their own, but farmers and growers are a big part of the solution.'
Jyoti Fernandes, farmer and Chair of the Landworkers’ Alliance has said: ‘Across the UK today thousands of small-scale farmers and foresters are successfully demonstrating that a range of tools – from alternative production models to innovative climate-friendly farming techniques and local supply chains are capable of not only reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint – but also of mitigating the impact of historic emissions.’
‘As farmers we support a transition to ‘less and better’ production and consumption of animal products, which supports the livelihoods of livestock farmers raising animals on pasture and waste food, while transitioning away from factory farming. We also need much more support for more fruit and vegetable producers supplying the fresh fruit and vegetables essential to low carbon diets.’
‘Farmers have always stood up to the challenge of feeding the world and are capable of adopting low carbon farming methods to protect healthy soils, water, insects, birdlife and weather conditions we depend on to feed the future.’
At the same time as joining the Eating Better Alliance the Landworkers’ Alliance launched – ‘Food, Farming, and the Climate Crisis.’ The report sets out a plan to feed a growing population, whilst meeting the 2016 Paris Agreement of keeping temperature increases to no more than 1.5 celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.
The report explores the role the food-system plays in significantly reducing the risks of devastating changes to weather patterns, ecosystems, food security and human health. It calls for a Climate, Food and Agriculture Bill creating a comprehensive set of land use, food, agriculture and trade policies implemented by DEFRA, DSHC, DFID, DTI and DCLG. This call is echoed by more than 60 organisations that make up the Eating Better Alliance, and will help make the Government’s ambitions around ‘net zero’ a reality.