Governments are being urged to act on the “immense toll” of climate crisis-linked extreme weather events on farmed animals, farmers’ livelihoods and food security.
A new report from Compassion in World Farming – ‘Climate Doom Loop: Factory Farming’s Toll on Animals, Farmers and Food’ – has been published to coincide with the Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany.
The report has advised governments to substantially reduce livestock production, switch to more climate and nature-friendly farming practices and ensure food systems aligns with planetary boundaries.
Heatwaves in the UK, hurricanes in the US, flooding in Italy and Brazil and other extreme weather events across Europe, Asia and Africa have been used as report case studies. They show that 14.8 million farmed animals have been killed as a direct result and 56.4 million people impacted at a cost of $120bn.
“Millions of farmed animals are killed each year by floods, storms and heatwaves driven by climate change, yet the very system they are reared in is making the situation worse,” said Debbie Tripley, global director of campaigns and policy advocacy at Compassion in World Farming. “These increasingly common extreme weather events are also catastrophic for people, food security and farmers’ livelihoods. Simply put, we’re trapped in a doom loop.”
The report also highlights the major role industrial farming plays in contributing to climate change.
“Governments must take urgent action to reduce emissions and livestock production as well as meat consumption in richer countries, whilst also establishing proper plans for climate resilience,” added Tripley. “Farmers must move away from cruel, unsustainable factory farming and towards responsible climate and nature-friendly practices.
“Farmed animals, economies, and the food on our plates are all under serious threat – we must act now before it’s too late.”
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