Gestation Crate Pigs McDonald's

Pigs in gestation crates ©The Humane Society

Agriculture / Agribusiness

Sponsored Post

Ctrl Alt Meat: Saving the Bacon – the Crate Debate

by Katie Briefel

We have seen the issue of gestation crates rise to prominence in recent months, in particular, due to a campaign led by Carl Icahn against Mcdonald’s. The activist investor called for two nominees to be elected to the board of directors to improve the company’s animal welfare standards, but the motion was voted down by shareholders last month. The reason for Icahn’s campaign and the media attention it subsequently garnered is due to McDonald’s failure to make good on its pledge to phase out the use of gestation crates. The inescapable facts The use of gestation crates is a common practice in the pork industry and is used to store farmed sows (female pigs) in small, metal enclosures during pregnancy to save space and reduce …

more

Different,Colorful,Medication,And,Pills

Image supplied by Ctrl Alt Meat

Health

Sponsored Post

Ctrl Alt Meat: Good Global Health Makes a World of Difference

by Katie Briefel

Last year’s word of the year, according to Merriam Webster, was ‘vaccine’, which followed ‘pandemic’ in 2020 and ‘climate emergency’ in 2019. It reinforces the sense that our health and our climate are at the forefront of public concerns – and nowhere are these issues more interconnected than in our global food system. Last month saw both World Health Day and Earth Day, so it’s a timely moment to consider how we can address and improve human, animal and planetary health by improving the food system. In particular through addressing emissions and land usage, disease outbreak and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  These are topics covered widely by antibiotics expert Dr Lance Price and investigative journalist Andrew Wasley in the podcast produced by the Jeremy Coller Foundation, …

more

Lab,Grown,Cultured,Meat,Concept,For,Artificial,In,Vitro,Cell

Image courtesy Jeremy Coller Foundation

Business Insiders

Sponsored Post

Future Proofing Our Food System, by Katie Briefel

How do we sustainably grow food to meet future demand? This was the key question for policymakers and business leaders at the UN’s Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods event in Dubai last week. With the human population set to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, and precious resources such as water and land dwindling, reshaping the future of our food has never been more important. The meat industry produces 44% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, is a significant driver of deforestation worldwide and produces double the waste created by the entire human population. Despite this, the average per-capita consumption of meat globally is increasing. Is it inevitable that such a system with meat consumption at the forefront will remain the incumbent? Or are we shifting towards …

more

Business Insiders

Ctrl Alt Meat: Veganuary and the Future of Plant-Based Foods

by Katie Briefel

The global food system is facing unparalleled challenges and changes. So how can we reset for a better, more sustainable future? The answer is already emerging, with investment in alternative protein companies reaching an all-time $3.1 billion high, policymakers beginning to push for reduced meat consumption and supermarket shelves hosting more vegan options than ever before. This Veganuary it is easier than ever to make the switch to a more plant-based diet. Veganuary, the movement which encourages individuals to adopt a vegan diet for the month of January, has proven to be wildly popular with over 500,000 taking the pledge last year, and two million signing up since the campaign began in 2014. As consumer engagement with Veganuary has grown, so too has the food …

more