More than 60 percent of Generation Z said they were in favor of a tax. More than 70 percent supported government subsidies to reduce plant-based product prices and advance innovation in the space. 

The study also found that nearly 80 percent of participants “could be convinced” to buy more meat alternatives frequently. An improved taste was one factor, while nearly 30 percent said they would be persuaded by lower prices.

The research also discovered that out of several terms to describe alternative protein products, including “meatless,” “veggie,” “vegan,” and “plant-based,” “meatless” was the most favored. 

A meat tax is ‘reasonable’ and ‘fair’

The idea of added tax has long been discussed as a potential solution to driving down demand for meat, which would, in turn, alleviate pressure on the environment. The meat industry is a leading cause of deforestation and a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent study from the University of Bonn in Germany recommended that rich Western countries reduce meat consumption by at least 75 percent for the sake of the planet. (In Europe, the average person consumes around 80 kilograms of meat every year.)

At the time, the study’s lead author Dr. Matin Qaim suggested that a meat tax could be an effective, “reasonable,” and “fair” way to get people to reduce their consumption.

He added: “Meat has a high environmental cost that is not reflected in current prices.”

The post More Than 60% Of Young Americans Support Meat Taxes, New Study Finds appeared first on Plant Based News.

Under the act, if an offender causes life-threatening injuries and high levels of pain, they could receive five years in prison. But even if there is a small amount of harm, caused by “incompetent care” or a “brief lapse in judgment,” they could still face up to six months behind bars.

Kurt Zouma and animal cruelty

The updated sentencing guidance comes as French footballer Kurt Zouma faces animal cruelty charges. The RSPCA is prosecuting the West Ham player and his brother Yoan for dropping, kicking, slapping, and throwing shoes at a cat. They then posted the footage online.

Zouma has apologized for the incident. But to ensure their safety, the RSCPA removed the footballer’s cats. West Ham has issued Zouma with a fine of £250,000.

The footballer is also being investigated for the same crime in France. (The French Penal Code states that citizens can be prosecuted for crimes carried out abroad.)

In the UK, Zouma will reportedly face trial for animal abuse on May 24.
 
Other “aggravating” factors in animal cruelty cases include the presence of children and the element of professional responsibility. (This would apply to farmers, vets, and breeders, for example.)

Per the Telegraph, Judge Rosa Dean of the Sentencing Council said: “Animals are not able to defend themselves or draw attention to their suffering. It is important that courts have the powers to deliver appropriate sentences to offenders who commit these crimes.”

The post Judges Crack Down On Animal Cruelty Ahead Of Kurt Zouma Trial appeared first on Plant Based News.

Cruel foie gras

Foie gras is a French delicacy that consists of fatty liver. The production process, which often results in disease and injury, includes the force-feeding of ducks and geese with metal tubes.

On grounds of cruelty, several countries have banned foie gras production. These include Germany, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, and the UK. But in the UK, imports are still legal. In fact, the country imports around 200 tonnes of foie gras every year.

According to data commissioned by several animal rights organizations, including Humane Society International and PETA, nearly three-quarters of voters want to see the UK government pass more animal protection laws.

Opposition from a handful of Conservative MPs caused the Animals Abroad Bill to be paused.

But Penny said that by putting animal welfare on the back burner, the UK government is “ignoring the wishes of the majority.”

She added: “What kind of message is the Government sending to the country and the people it is meant to represent?”

“Animal Equality will continue to defend animals and the British people’s wishes,” she continued. “The Government should know: we will not let this issue drop.”

To support Animal Equality’s mission to end foie gras imports, sign its petition here.

The post Despite Public Opinion Against Foie Gras, UK Fails To Ban Imports appeared first on Plant Based News.

But the White House’s promotion of plant-based living could still have a positive impact in the US.

A number of studies have suggested that cutting out meat and dairy can support good health. 

For example, a recent Oxford University found that a meat-free diet could reduce cancer risk by 14 percent. Last year, more research found that following a whole-food, plant-based diet may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment. Another 2021 study found that a plant-based diet may slash the risk of stroke by up to 10 percent.

‘Critically important’ shift

Animal rights organization Mercy for Animals is urging the White House to back plant-based diets at the upcoming nutrition conference.

In a statement, the nonprofit’s federal policy manager Frances Chrzan said: “We are thrilled that the Biden-Harris Administration will host this important conference at a time when consumers, researchers, and health officials alike are embracing and espousing the benefits of a plant-based diet.”

The nonprofit is also encouraging Biden’s administration to give more support to small-scale farmers. It is also urging the government to acknowledge the detrimental environmental impact of animal agriculture. 

“Much has changed over the last five decades in our knowledge of how critically important a plant-based food system can be for providing Americans sufficient daily nutrients as well as protecting the environment for future generations,” continued Chrzan.

“As the Biden-Harris administration prepares for the Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health, Mercy For Animals hopes to see a recommendation for increasing access to plant-based foods to address the health of people and our planet.”

The post White House Urged To Back Plant-Based Diets At Landmark Nutrition Conference appeared first on Plant Based News.

He noted that the incident was “deeply disturbing.”

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A post shared by Animal Justice Party NSW (@animaljusticepartynsw)

The end of live sheep exports?

Back in 2019, the Labor party committed to phasing out the trade, which is worth around $92 million AUD. Now, the party has again spoken up on the issue as Australia heads towards its federal elections on May 22.

Anthony Albanese, the leader of the Australian Labor Party, rivals current Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

A Labor statement reads: “An elected Albanese Labor government will phase out live sheep exports in consultation with the industry and the West Australian government on what needs to happen given this decline.”

The Animal Justice Party, an Australian animal rights-focused political party, has consistently campaigned for the end of the live sheep export trade. 

In an Instagram post announcing Labor’s confirmation, the group wrote: “Victory is within our sights. We are overjoyed that these beautiful, innocent animals will be spared the living hell that is live export.”

After urging followers to vote for the Animal Justice Party, the post continued: “We won’t stop fighting till there is a full ban on all animal exports. So let’s get a voice for animals into federal parliament.”

The post Australia Might Be About To Ban Live Sheep Exports For Good appeared first on Plant Based News.

Humane Society International/UK (HSI) – an animal rights charity which championed the anti-glue trap campaign, Unstuck – has welcomed the news, naming it a “momentous victory” for wildlife across the country.

What are glue traps, and are they ethical?

Glue traps are pieces of cardboard, plastic, or fiberboard coated with a strong non-setting adhesive, designed to immobilize animals who wander across them.

HSI considers the traps “inhumane” and “indefensible,” since animals who become ensnared in one can suffer from broken or dislocated bones, torn skin, suffocation, vision loss, or if left long enough, dehydration or starvation.

It’s alleged that some animals who become stuck in a glue trap chew through their own limbs in an effort to free themselves.

And it’s not just rats and mice who fall victim to the devices. According to HSI, protected and endangered species including hedgehogs, birds, bats, and pet cats have also been known to sustain injuries, many of which are fatal.

Ban on glue traps

Despite the animal welfare complications, glue traps are widely available in the UK, with many costing as little as 99p. And while the new legislation will not ban their sale, it will be illegal for members of the public, including “pest controllers,” to use one in England without a licence.

Those who violate the new law will be handed a fine and/or up to 51 weeks in prison.

Further, coming upon a glue trap and not checking, without good reason, that it is disabled will also be an offence.

The legislation contains a limited exemption, which will allow those working in “pest” management to apply for a glue trap licence via the Secretary of State. This can only be carried out when there is “no other satisfactory solution,” and when it is necessary for “the purpose of preserving public health or safety.”

HSI/UK executive director Claire Bass – who labels glue traps “crude devices that cause horrific suffering to millions of animals” – hopes the ban will spur on industry changes.

“It is absolutely right that their public use will be banned, and we hope this will precipitate their removal from sale by retailers since it will be illegal for their customers to use them,” Bass said.

“The licensing regime for glue trap use by the ‘pest’ control industry will need to be strictly managed to ensure that these cruel products are no longer casually used with impunity,” she added. 

A similar exemption was included in a 2015 glue trap ban in New Zealand, but licences still continued to decline. In fact, there were no licence approvals in New Zealand at all last year.

Chris Packham on ‘compassionate’ wildlife management

Naturalist and vegan Chris Packham was pleased by the news. “When wildlife, like mice and rats, are successful at living alongside humans, we label them ‘pests’ or ‘vermin’ and seem to think that’s a green light to completely disregard their welfare,” he said in a statement.

“Glue traps are a prime example of this. That attitude has to change.”

The presenter added: “I’m delighted that cruel and unnecessary glue traps will now be taken out of public use, prompting a more compassionate and also effective approach to dealing with unwanted wildlife.”

“This law is great news for mice and rats, but also for the many unintended victims who get stuck in the glue, such as delicate birds, grass snakes, frogs, and hedgehogs.”

The post England To Ban Glue Traps In ‘Momentous Victory’ For Wildlife appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill finally made its way through the House of Lords last week. Once the bill is granted Royal Assent – whereby the Queen formally agrees to turn the bill into law – it will be renamed as the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.

The legislation acknowledges that all vertebrates – animals with a spinal column including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds – are sentient beings. The bill also includes decapod crustaceans and cephalopods, such as octopuses and lobsters.

Sentience is generally characterized as the capacity to experience pain, fear, frustration, distress, comfort, and joy, for example. Emerging research suggests that some invertebrates left out of the legislation, such as bees, could also have their own emotional experiences.

Moving forward, policymakers must more closely consider the safety, experiences, and wellbeing of animals as thinking, feeling beings.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 also orders the government to form an Animal Sentience Committee to ensure these guidelines are met.

Public support of animal sentience bill

The Better Deal for Animals – a coalition of more than 50 leading animal organizations in the UK including the RSPCA, PETA, and Humane Society International/UK – had been pushing for the bill for years.

The alliance formed in 2019 to campaign for the recognition of animal sentience in UK law. Animal sentience was the only piece of EU legislation that was not transposed when the UK left the EU last year.

The UK public has largely welcomed the concept, according to various MPs. Conservative MP Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds) noted an “overwhelming public demand for sentience legislation.”

Along a similar vein, Labor MP Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) revealed: “It is no exaggeration to say that I am contacted daily by constituents on one aspect or another of animal welfare.”

Singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon, who helped form a petition on the matter that garnered more than 100,000 signatures, applauded the policy change.

“Animals enrich and improve our lives in so many ways, so it is only right that we give them our full respect in law,” she said in a statement. “From the smallest mouse to the largest whale, our decisions can have a huge impact on the welfare of animals, and I’m thrilled that this new law will now mean all government departments will have to show how they’re giving animals the consideration and protection they deserve.”

‘Respect’ for all animals

Actor Joanna Lumley, who recently made headlines after calling out animal suffering within the farming sector, was also moved by the legislation update. She said: “Anyone lucky enough to share their life with an animal knows what rich emotional lives they can lead, and how much our actions can affect their wellbeing, for better or worse.

“I am delighted that this new law will mean that sentient animals, including beautiful sea creatures like lobsters and octopus, will be treated with greater respect and care.”

James West, senior policy manager at Compassion in World Farming, stressed that the fight for stronger animal protections is not over yet.

“The Animal Sentience Committee still has a big job to do,” West commented. “It’s critical that they prioritize those policies that have the potential to cause the greatest suffering to the largest number of animals, including of course, the millions of animals facing welfare problems on Britain’s farms.”

A date has not yet been set for the Royal Assent, but Humane Society International expects this will happen in the coming weeks.

The post Animals, Including Fish, To Be Recognized As Sentient Beings Under UK Law appeared first on Plant Based News.

Estrellita’s influential case

For context, in 2008, Ecuador become the first in the world to enshrine the “rights of nature” in law. The historic ruling meant that the Ecuadorian Constitution recognizes that ecosystems have the right to exist and flourish.

In Estrellita’s case, the court ruled for the first time that the rights of nature can extend to individual wild animals, that wild animals have rights, and that Estrellita’s had been violated (both when she was poached from the wild, and when she was forcibly moved to a zoo).

The verdict is significant because it means that going forward, the same approach can be applied in other cases involving wild animals, too. Environmental lawyer Hugo Echeverría said in a statement: “This verdict raises animal rights to the level of the constitution, the highest law of Ecuador.”

“While rights of nature were enshrined in the constitution, it was not clear prior to this decision whether individual animals could benefit from the rights of nature and be considered rights holders as a part of nature,” he added. “The Court has stated that animals are subject of rights protected by rights of nature.”

The post Ecuador Court Recognizes The Legal Rights Of Animals For The First Time appeared first on Plant Based News.

Senator Marty Klyne formally introduced the bill, called the Jane Goodall Act, yesterday.

The proposed legislation seeks to completely phase out elephant captivity in Canada, including the import and breeding of the species.

This move could have a far-reaching impact, given elephant populations are struggling. In part, due to human interference, such as ivory trading.

Last year, the African savanna elephant and African forest elephant were classified as endangered and critically endangered, respectively. The Asian elephant is also classified as endangered, with its population halving in the last 75 years.

The Jane Goodall Act, if implemented, would also outlaw the ownership, breeding, and possession of a multitude of other exotic animals, thwarting the business models of many zoos.

The number of zoos operating in Canada today is unclear, but Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) – a private organization representing animal entertainment facilities – has 26 animal parks, aquariums, and other attractions on its accreditation list at the time of writing.

Additionally, under the proposed act, private individuals who attempt to keep wild animals in captivity would also be greeted with legal obstacles.

Big cats, bears, great apes, whales, dolphins, coyotes, wolves, seals, sea lions, alligators, crocodiles, and several types of exotic lizards and snakes all receive protections under the act.

Further, the bill would allow the federal government to more easily restrict the captivity of additional species in the future.

“The Jane Goodall Act would protect a broad array of large, sentient animals like lions, tigers, bears, and apes from suffering unnatural conditions inside tiny enclosures,” said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice .

“Polls show that most Canadians are opposed to confining animals in zoos and aquariums, and this important new law takes a giant leap toward improving saving countless animals from a lifetime of suffering in captivity.”

Indeed, a poll conducted by Research Co. in 2019 found that more than half (52 percent) of Canadians were against keeping animals in zoos or aquariums. Moreover, 59 percent said they oppose animal involvement in rodeos.

A ‘global leader’ in animal protection

Labchuk continued: “The bill would also offer animals limited legal standing to animals in some court proceedings. If adopted, this precedent-setting move would make Canada a global leader in ensuring the courts are able to consider the best interests of individual animals.”

The bill, backed by Dame Goodall herself, was first introduced in November 2020, and has since been updated to include more species.

The proposed legislation takes inspiration from the Free Willy Act (Bill S-203). That act, passed in 2019, aimed to phase out the captivity, breeding, and trade of whales and dolphins.

Staff lawyer at Animal Justice, Kaitlyn Mitchell, expects that the Jane Goodall Act will move through the legislative process in the coming months. Amendments may be made during the committee stage, she said to Plant Based News, and if all goes to plan, the bill will then be considered in the House of Commons.

Mitchell told us: “We believe that just like the ‘Free Willy bill’ before it, which aimed to phase out whale and dolphin captivity across Canada, the Jane Goodall Act will have the support of the Canadian public, and are optimistic that it will ultimately become law in Canada.”

Those interested can show their support for the Jane Goodall Act by signing this online petition.

The post New Bill Seeks To Protect Wild Animals From Captivity In Canada appeared first on Plant Based News.

The organization maintains that the government’s current system promotes the breeding of “Frankenchickens.”

These birds are selectively bred for rapid growth for economic reasons, resulting in a myriad of health complications.

Ninety percent of chickens raised for meat — or around 900 million chickens — grow unnaturally fast and to unnaturally large sizes, according to The Humane League.

This leaves the animals struggling to hold up their own weight, often suffering from high blood pressure, broken bones, muscular diseases, and cardiac arrest as a result.

“For decades the animal industry has selectively bred chickens to grow faster and faster — these animals grow 400 percent faster than they did in the 1950s,” commented The Humane League UK senior public affairs lead Amro Hussain.

“Today they reach slaughter weight at only five weeks old – they’re just babies. The results are huge, often immobile birds, who struggle to walk, get burned by their own waste, suffer heart-attacks and whose flesh is streaked with fat.

“We call them ‘Frankenchickens’ because we have created a genetic monster, animals who live lives of inescapable misery,” Hussain stated.

Harmful selective breeding is not exclusive to the meat industry. A recent study found that 97 percent of laying hens in the egg industry have broken bones. On average, each chicken had three, while others had up to 11.

Breach of the law

The Humane League says this concept violates the UK’s own animal welfare regulations.

The Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007 states that animals can only be kept for farming if their genetic makeup does not have a detrimental impact on their health or welfare.

As such, The Humane League has filed a judicial review against Defra. The initial hearing will take place on March 22, 2022.

Edie Bowles, a solicitor at Advocates for Animals, is representing the animal protection group for the case.

“The law clearly prohibits the keeping of farmed animals who experience detriment to their health or welfare due to their genes. The science shows that fast-growing chickens slaughtered for meat cannot be kept without such detriment. As such it is our position that keeping these birds is unlawful,” Bowles said.

“We hope a ruling will force Defra to take responsibility and stop allowing these birds to suffer.”

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