Ichan owns just 200 shares in McDonald’s, valued at approximately $50,000, but he is using his holding – and his reputation – to push for Leslie Samuelrich, a sustainability-focused investor and president of Green Century Capital Management, and Maisie Ganzler, an executive at Bon Appétit, to be put on McDonald’s board.

Icahn became involved in the issue at the behest of his daughter, Michelle Icahn Nevin. He says he had expected the use of the crates to be banned altogether, not merely have sows moved from crates only after they are confirmed pregnant four to six weeks into their 16-week term.

Impossible target

McDonald’s said it would be “impossible” to meet Icahn’s request to end the practice immediately as it would go against “veterinary science” and “harm the company’s shared pursuit of providing customers with quality product at accessible prices.”

Icahn told Bloomberg TV last week that he was committed to taking action, despite McDonald’s explanation that outbreaks of swine disease and the Covid-19 pandemic delayed producers’ ability to meet its original timeline by two years.

“We’re not going to fool around with them anymore,” he said.

Cruelty

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), gestation crates are “so restrictive that the pigs cannot turn around.” 

Pigs relegated to the stalls “suffer a number of significant welfare problems, including an elevated risk of urinary tract infections, weakened bones, overgrown hooves” and other issues, said a report published by HSUS.

“These crates cause lesions, cramps, muscle atrophy, pain and distress to the sows who cannot nurse their piglets and often suffer from bleeding gums caused by biting the bars in frustration and stress.”

Gestation crates are banned in at least 10 states, including California, Colorado, and Florida.

The fast-food giant promised 10 years ago to end its suppliers’ crate practice and said Sunday that it expects to source 85 percent to 90 percent of its US pork from pigs not housed in “gestation stalls” during pregnancy by the end of this year.

Explorative animals

A 2005 study commissioned by the American Society of Swine Veterinarians asserted that “pigs are explorative by nature, and exploratory behavior is considered an important component of pig welfare”.

The conflict also highlights the limited and often slow progress that food producers have made in altering their supply chains.

McDonald’s says it sources only approximately one percent of US pork production and does not own any sows, or produce or package pork in the US.

“More than ever, our customers want to know how their food is produced and where it comes from,” the company posted on its Animal Health & Welfare page, adding that it is using its size and global reach “to improve animal health and welfare” and “source chicken, eggs, beef and pork from producers who share our commitments”.

The post McDonald’s Promised To End Agonizing Treatment Of Pigs 10 Years Ago appeared first on Plant Based News.

Consumer clarity has been touted as the main reason for the legislation. But with the vegan leather market projected to hit almost $90 billion by 2025, the enormous growth provides a problem for the Portuguese government, which is under pressure to protect the country’s leather industry. 

War of the words 

Portugal is not the first country to ban so-called ‘misleading’ terms. Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain have all made moves to initiate similar laws, with consumer clarity always cited as the primary motivation.

However, last year a new study busted the myth that consumers are confused by labels such as “meat’” and “milk’” on plant-based products.

Attempts to suppress the vegan market have not always been successful. In 2020, European farmers lost in their attempt to ban terms such as “veggie burger,” and last year an Australian senator failed to enforce a ban on meat-like terms used on vegan product packaging.

Traditional leather is bad for the environment

Conventional leather has come under heavy criticism in recent years for its detrimental environmental impact, not to mention the obvious animal welfare connotations. 

The Livestock sector is the world’s biggest user of agricultural land, primarily through grazing and the use of feed crops. As a result, real leather plays a significant role in climate change.

Many of the plant-based alternatives hitting the market are significantly more sustainable.

For example, a peer-reviewed life cycle assessment of Modern Meadow’s Bioleather1 material family found that Bioleather1 produces 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than bovine leather and 20 percent fewer than PU-based synthetic leather alternatives. 

Furthermore, The Environmental Profit & Loss tool developed in 2018 by Kering states that the impact of producing vegan-leather can be up to a third lower than traditional leather.

Recent years have seen a boom in manufacturers releasing more and more types of vegan leather as global demand surges. From utilizing floral waste in India to the fique plant in Colombia, the industry is not slowing down any time soon.

Vegan leather drawbacks? 

Despite vegan alternatives having a lower impact on the environment than the real thing, they also have some drawbacks, mainly when they include plastic. Leather-like materials often rely on fossil-fuel-derived synthetics that mimic the desired effects of animal leather. 

Plant-based materials are sometimes mixed with PU plastic which can end up in water or landfill. It takes many years to degrade and releases toxic chemicals into the environment. 

However, over the past few years, innovators have pioneered ways to make vegan leather without plastic, making it the most environmentally sound choice. 

The post The Term ‘Vegan Leather’ Has Been Banned In Portugal appeared first on Plant Based News.

As part of Brexit, beef products from Queensland, Australia’s largest beef producing state, could soon find their way overseas.

The area has been branded the nation’s “deforestation front” by WWF, with Australia being the only developed country to feature on the environmental organization’s global deforestation hotspots list.

Deforestation beef

This was revealed in satellite analysis over the past three years, according to Unearthed, the journalism network of Greenpeace.

The investigation highlighted an area of more than 13,500 hectares of deforestation among farms in the region. Here, the land is inhabited by a host of threatened species including koalas, flying foxes, and quolls.

One of the key beef producers in Queensland is the global meat giant JBS. Itself and other animal agriculture organizations have been dubbed to be involved in “substantial” forest clearing.

Shadow attorney-general Emily Thornberry branded Unearthed‘s findings “the most shocking and disgraceful discovery to date about the environmental impact of the proposed deal with Australia.”

It’s “a deal which will allow Australia’s agricultural mega-corporations to increase their beef exports to the UK by more than 6,000 percent in the first year before any tariffs kick in,” she added.

And, the potential trade deal will only allow such corporations to “increase their threat” to koalas and other endangered species, she fears.

UK-Australia Brexit trade deal

While no firm agreements have been made on a UK-Australia trade deal post Brexit, it is currently under negotiation.

The first stage was signed in June, which will allow Australia to send a certain amount of agricultural goods without tariffs.

But it’s already faced backlash from British farmers. For example, the president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), Minnette Batters, said it could cause a “slow, withering death of family farmers” in the UK, the BBC reports.

However, the UK government assured it is “committed” to clamping down on illegal deforestation.

The post Beef Linked To Deforestation Considered For Trade Deal Between Australia And UK appeared first on Plant Based News.

According to The Times of Israel, the ministry is pumping NIS 15 million (US$4.8 million) into the program, which will “teach kids about the climate crisis” as well as “the need to fight against it.”

The ministry developed the initiative alongside the council of youth movements and the Education Ministry. 

The program will include training courses and activities, and will also see the appointment of a sustainability coordinator. Additionally, the project will help establish climate coalitions and encourage younger generations to make eco-friendly lifestyle changes. 

The initiative will kick off during the current school year.

Tackling climate breakdown 

Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection is Tamar Zandberg. She said the climate emergency is now one of the government’s top priorities “for the first time.”

She made the comments during the 2021 Climate Innovation Summit, which was held online in November. 

“The climate crisis has become a reality, and we must be realistic and speedy in dealing with it. The truth is, that in the post-COVID world, most countries will be focused on restarting their economies,” Zandberg said. 

“The question then is how to accelerate economic growth, international trade, and infrastructure development, while at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees and adapting to a world reshaped by climate change?”

As part of the climate drive, the Middle Eastern country has implemented new policies relating to waste, transportation, and energy. It’s also developing a carbon pricing system, whereby the financial cost of pollution will fall into the laps of the polluter, rather than the public. 

Zandberg assured that “… we can leverage our unique experience and expertise, and work together to accelerate sustainable economic growth, improve the health of our planet, and build a more peaceful and prosperous future.”

Last month, at COP26, the minister expressed confidence that Israel will achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The post Israel Commits $4.8 Million To Educate Children About The Climate Crisis appeared first on Plant Based News.

From January 1, 2022, no meat, besides fish, will be served at Helsinki’s meetings, seminars, workshops, and public events.

Instead, attendees will be offered seasonal vegetarian food and/or “responsibly caught local fish,” the City of Helsinki’s website reads.

Further, cow’s milk will be replaced by oat milk for coffees, and Fair Trade products will be the focus. 

Expanding on this, the city will not use single-use water bottles, cutlery, or other disposable tableware at its events. It will also encourage attendees to avoid food waste. 

“This is one way, among others, to reduce the climate impact of food and reduce the amount of natural resources used by the city,” Johanna af Hällström, team manager of the city’s climate team, told Yle.

However, the new policy is open to deviation, according to Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen. 

“For example, should the king of Sweden arrive for a visit, then domestic game can be offered. Or some group for whom it would be natural to offer meat, then there must be discretion and common sense,” Vartiainen said to Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

Aims to lower emissions

The updates align with a commitment made by the Helsinki City Council in 2019. Then, the council promised to halve meat and dairy consumption by 2025.

The announcement was part of the capital’s desire to cut emission output. 

Animal agriculture is a chief driver of climate breakdown, with livestock to blame for vast amounts of emissions, pollution, and land and water use. 

Finns’ consumption of animal products was once among the highest in the EU, according to councillor Atte Harjanne of the Green party. But the tide appears to be turning. According to the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, meat consumption in Finland has fallen for two consecutive years.

The post Finland’s Capital Moves Away From Meat At Its Events In Plant-Based Drive appeared first on Plant Based News.

This week, at the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26), leaders signed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use.

Within it, they accept they must work ‘collectively’ to reverse land degradation and promote restoration.

And within the plans, agricultural companies are being pressed to limit their role in driving forest clearing. 

Ending deforestation

Among the countries committing to the plan include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Russia, Spain, the US, and the UK.

And, a staggering almost £9 billion of public money has been set aside in the package to support it.

Additionally, 10 companies with market shares in beef, soy, cocoa, and palm oil production have agreed they will help halt forest loss. However, the UN has not revealed exactly which companies this involves.

Upon announcing the news, the UK government revealed that 30 CEOs of companies connected to agricultural practices had agreed to eliminate investment in deforestation.

They will make their “best efforts to eliminate forest-risk agricultural commodity-driven deforestation activities” over the next five years.

COP26 pledge

In a statement, the UN said: “We intend to build on our shared efforts.

“Working with governments, farmers, and other key stakeholders in our supply chains, to accelerate sector-wide action and to identify opportunities for public-private collaboration to catalyze further progress on eliminating commodity-driven deforestation.”

The hope is that the commitment will help reach targets set in the Paris Agreement to keep the world from warming more than 1.5 degrees.

There has never been such a vital time to protect forests, but campaigners remain cautious.

With around 80 percent of global deforestation caused by agricultural production – largely as a source of animal feed – questions remain over what global leaders are doing to discourage meat and dairy consumption.

And despite it being made clear by the UN in 2019 that we can protect and restore our forests through dietary change, global policymakers have remained hushed on recommending plant-based diets.

Greenpeace USA stresses that many companies have made deforestation commitments in the past without ‘fruition’.

“Due to the lack of fulfillment of the Cattle Agreement and other factors, cattle remains a major threat to the forests and natural ecosystems”, the organization adds.

Meat industry

Speaking on the pledge, Dr. Justine Butler of vegan charity Viva! says we can’t meet the targets without changing what we eat.

In a statement sent to PBN, she added: “Animal agriculture contributes around one-fifth of all global-warming greenhouse gases.

“And, livestock farming lies at the heart of all the environmental problems we are facing; from the destruction of rainforests and the vandalizing of oceans to the pollution of the air we breathe. We are currently undergoing a sixth mass extinction, with no idea what the consequences will be.  

“Most people recognize the severity of the problem and the links with animal agriculture.

“However, the government’s continued refusal to name and shame animal agriculture as a major driver of climate change is jeopardizing our chances of meeting climate targets. We can achieve net-zero emissions but not without changing the way we eat.”

The post COP26: 105 Countries Commit To Ending Deforestation By 2030 appeared first on Plant Based News.

Eric Adams

Adams defeated Democrat Curtis Sliwa with a 66 percent lead in the election which took place on Tuesday.

From January, the 61-year-old will take over the position with the key message of ensuring public safety following the fallout of COVID-19.

The plant-based politician announced his candidacy last year, where he deplored the ‘dysfunctional government’ for mishandling COVID-19 and causing swathes of New Yorkers to get sick as a result.

At the time, he proclaimed: “We need action and we need it now. The promise of New York has always been that any New Yorker can be who they were meant to be. 

“When we unleash the potential of New Yorkers by allowing them to thrive, there is no pandemic, no recession, no division that we cannot overcome.”

One of his pledges is to halt government inefficiency, and in his acceptance speech, he made it clear he was on the side of the people: “Tonight, New Yorkers have chosen one of their own. I am you.”

Vegan mayor

Adams was long dubbed to beat Sliwa in voting predictions. And, his victory follows promises to ‘reverse inequality’ – that he made on the launch of his campaign.

The former police captain was previously the Borough President of Brooklyn, a position he used to ban processed meat from schools in 2019. And he’s been an advocate for nutrition since veganism helped him improve his health. 

The lifestyle change even helped restore his sight after he woke up with severe vision loss five years ago. Moreover, he overcame Type 2 diabetes after ditching meat and dairy and discovered that ‘food can be medicine’.

The post BREAKING: New York City Welcomes 1st Ever Vegan Mayor Eric Adams appeared first on Plant Based News.

Israeli government celebrates alt protein

President Hertzog announced the government ‘officially’ embraces alternative protein as part of its National Climate Strategy.

This comes ahead of COP26, the UN summit which gathers global leaders in Glasgow to agree a fighting plan against climate breakdown.

Hertzog tasted Future Meat‘s cultivated meat products at a reception in Jerusalem this week.

Here, environmental and energy ministers Tamar Zandberg and Karine Elharrar joined him – alongside plant-based companies including Zero Egg and InnovoPro.

In a statement, Hertzog announced: “It is imperative that we take advantage of the international stage in Glasgow to present the extensive Israeli climate tech and solutions we can offer globally in climate innovation and development of alternatives to animal protein. 

“We certainly have much to be proud of.”

He claimed that he’s ‘the first’ president to try the delicacy – dubbed by many to be the answer to ending factory farming. ‘It was amazingly delicious’, he said on Facebook.

Is cell-cultured meat the solution?

Minister of environmental protection, Tamar Zandberg stressed the importance of ‘finding solutions’ especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zandberg added: “I ate chicken for the first time in seven years, it was cultivated chicken. This technology will not only change Israel but will contribute to the whole world.”

The Good Food Institute welcomed the politicians’ comments. 

Managing director Nir Goldstein told PBN: “It is not a coincidence that food tech and alternative protein are at the forefront of the Israeli delegation to Glasgow… This Israeli technology is a strategic asset to our country in this era of climate crisis.”

The post Israeli Government Backs Cell-Cultured Meat To Fight Climate Crisis appeared first on Plant Based News.

They call for a ‘plant-based future’ – and demand the UK government stop subsidizing meat and dairy.

Animal Rebellion protest UK government

Four protestors climbed the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) building in Westminster, London, this morning. 

Here, they unveiled a sign reading: “COP26: Invest In A Plant-Based Future.”

A police cordon, fire engines, and an ambulance are on the scene.

Animal Rebellion, which is a sister organization of Extinction Rebellion, says it intends to remain on the building until its demands are met.

The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, must cut all taxpayer support for animal agriculture – and encourage other world leaders to do the same, they order.

‘Defunding meat’ before COP26

In just five days, leaders and policymakers will gather at the UN Climate Change Conference 2021, aka COP26, to make decisions on how best to tackle the climate emergency.

This offers a mammoth opportunity for the UK, who are playing host this year, to instill monumental change.

Despite this, Animal Rebellion spokesperson Nathan McGovern accuses the government of being hypocritical.

In a statement sent to PBN, McGovern said: “The UK Government is simultaneously saying that it is a world leader in climate change whilst propping up the unsustainable and unprofitable meat and dairy industry, one that emits disproportionate amounts of greenhouse gases.

“…We need to defund meat and subsidize plant-based alternatives instead.”

UK government’s meat consumption targets

The calls also follow the rollout of the National Food Strategy. This report is created to improve health and protect the environment. 

And this year, it set out recommendations for meat intake to be reduced by 30 percent. ‘Our current appetite for meat is unsustainable’, it reads.

Welcomed by many, Animal Rebellion included, the report marked a positive step in highlighting the benefits of plant-based diets. 

However, Britain’s meat industry remains heavily reliant on the pockets of the public. Under EU Agricultural Policy, UK farmers received around £3.5 billion in payments every year.

While this is set to change following Brexit, in 2020 alone, £3 billion was set aside to fund the farming community.

The post Animal Rebellion Swarm Up Government Building In COP26 Protest appeared first on Plant Based News.

Despite urgent calls for the PM to encourage slashing meat intake by half, there’s a ‘glaring omission’ in the Net-Zero Strategy: and The Vegetarian Society is not happy about it.

Boris Johnson slammed for Net-Zero Strategy

Boris Johnson set out the long-awaited Net-Zero Strategy earlier this week. In essence, it’s a caucus of plans to help the country reach net-zero carbon emissions.

And the 368-page report will place the UK as the world leader in the ‘race’ to hitting the target, according to Johnson.

But the politician was called out for leaving out any recommendations to reduce meat intake, in order to help reduce the emissions.

And as a result, The Vegetarian Society reacted. The organization penned a letter to the PM ‘seeking to understand why the issue of diet and animal agriculture appears to have been deliberately omitted’.

Why was meat reduction not mentioned?

Chief executive Richard McIlwain told PBN: “Given that 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from animal agriculture. 

“And, that the government’s own National Food Strategy suggests a 30 percent reduction in meat consumption by 2030 in order to hit climate targets, it is difficult to understand why this issue has not been made a central plank of the strategy.”

In such a ‘critical’ decade in the fight to mitigate the climate emergency, reducing meat intake must be a part of the strategy, McIlwain warns.

He added: “Choosing more plant-based meals over meat is one of the quickest and easiest ways anyone can reduce their carbon footprint. And, collectively as a nation that would create a huge impact.”

You can read the full strategy here

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