Ugandan livestock farmers, concentrated along ‘the cattle corridor’ which runs southwest to northeast across Uganda, are already in conflict due to water scarcity and this will be exacerbated by increased demand and climate change. Oxfam’s recent report ‘Climate Change and Poverty in Uganda’ reveals that:-

“People in Uganda, whose contribution to global warming has been minuscule, are feeling the impacts of climate change first and worst. On the one hand there is more erratic rainfall in the March to June rainy season, bringing drought and reductions in crop yields and plant varieties; on the other hand, the rainfall, especially in the later rains towards the end of the year, is reported as coming in downpours that are more intense and destructive, bringing floods, landslides, and soil erosion”.

Livestock farmers are already being forced to move their animals great distances to find pasture and water, increasing the conflict between them as they encroach on to each others territories.

Renowned British environmentalist Norman Myers coined the phrase ‘the hamburger connection’ in the 1980s to describe how the rapid growth in beef exports in Central America to fast food chains is the US was driving deforestation. Since then we have seen massive destruction of the Amazon for cattle ranching and now the largest meat producer in the world, Tyson, has ambitious plans to enter countries such as Brazil, China and India to introduce and profit from the industrialistion of meat production in those countries.

There is no question that Uganda needs to overcome poverty, but developing a meat export market is not the answer. We have already seen the result of meat exportation in Brazil and other developing countries which has only resulted in further environmental destruction, conflict, poverty and hunger. Forty per cent of children’s deaths in Uganda are caused by malnutrition; they need the resources to feed their own people, not to fulfil the desire for meat in rich nations. If Norway really wanted to make a difference to people in Uganda, and didn’t actually have an alterior motive, that’s what they’d help them to do.

The International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture have just released their ‘Manifesto on Climate Change and the Future of Food Security‘.

In the report, the impacts of growing animal feeds on the environment are explained:-

“Export-oriented countries such as Argentina and Brazil export millions of tons of GM soybean cultivated under monocultures to Europe to feed intensively reared and highly subsidized animals. This contributes to soil erosion and social desertification of the countryside and allows the maintenance of a highly unhealthy and energy-inefficient meat-based diet”.

The report also covers the combined impact of animal feeds and agrofuels on the Amazon:-

“In Brazil, vast swathes of the Amazon forest have already been cleared for soybean cultivation for cattlefeed. Encouraging soybean biodiesel would bring further devastation to the Amazon… Also, as farmers in the U.S. have switched from planting soy to planting corn, Brazil is trying to make up this difference in soy production and it is doing this by clearing more of the Amazon”.

And livestock’s impact on climate change:-

“Industrial agriculture contributes directly to climate change through emissions of the major greenhouse gases - Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)… Methane and nitrous oxide are particularly powerful contributors to climate change as the global warming potential of methane is 21 times, and of nitrous oxide 310 times, that of CO2. Since 1970 the emission of these greenhouse gases has increased by 40 percent and 50 percent respectively… In particular ruminants produce methane via enteric fermentation which increases when cattle are fed intensive feed. At 32 percent this is the second largest source of emissions [from agriculture]“.

The report goes on to explain how diets are changing and what this means for our health:-

“The nutritional transition based on meat, dairy and fats increase the incidence of food related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and strokes. As the South adopts more western-style diets, such diseases are on the rise”.

This report, and the many others which have highlighted the impact of the modern meat and dairy industry - from deforestation, climate change, food security and health - makes it abundantly clear that our chances of creating a healthy and sustainable future are minimal so long as this industry continues.

Contributors to the report included many pro-vegetarian experts such as world-renowned scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva; Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet; Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy, Institute of Health Science and government advisor and Caroline Lucas of the Green Party.

How come whenever there is a crisis the least deserving are the only ones who actually benefit? With the energy crisis and increased fuel prices, companies such as Shell report record earnings. With the food crisis, it’s McDonalds who are reaping the rewards; due to increased demand they have created 4,000 extra jobs in the UK.

McDonalds are not only responsible for the destruction of tropical forests to make way for soy plantations (used to feed their suppliers’ cattle), childhood obesity and disease through their aggressive advertising aimed at children and climate change caused by all the animals raised and slaughtered to keep their restaurants stocked with burgers but also can be held accountable for the growing number of starving people in the world.

Whilst people in richer nations resort to a meal out at McDonalds in an attempt to keep costs down, people in developing nations are those that bear the real cost. The demand for crops to feed animals, coupled with climate change and biofuels, has resulted in increased food prices to levels that the world’s poor cannot afford. Not only that, but more and more indigenous people are being violently expelled from their land so that massive trans-national corporations can grow soy to feed the animals which end up in the bellies of McDonald’s customers.

We cannot fix the food crisis by dining out at cheap but unsustainable and unethical restaurants. If you can’t afford to eat out somewhere which serves healthy, sustainable, plant-based meals, then cook a delicious meal with friends and family at home.

The world’s largest meat company, Tyson Foods, has reported a massive 92% fall in earnings. They earned $9 million in the 3 months ending June 30 2008, down from $111 million in the same quarter last year. Tyson said it paid $140 million more for grain during the quarter to feed its chickens compared to a year ago. Tyson’s beef unit, its largest unit, earned $3 million versus $36 million a year ago.

I hope they are not expecting anyone to feel sorry for them. Tyson is certainly a company our world would be much better without. Take a look at their website if you want a great example of corporate bullsh*t. ‘Tyson cares about the environment’ they say. Let’s think about that a minute. As the recent dramatic fall in profits show, this company relies upon huge amounts of soy to feed it’s animals, the very same soy that is destroying our rainforests and causing climate change. How dare they claim to care about the environment when they are instrumental in it’s destruction?

Even more laughbable is their claim that ‘the primary philanthropic focus for Tyson Foods is hunger relief. As of February, 2008, Tyson had donated more than 50 million pounds of Tyson products to hunger and disaster relief efforts since the year 2000′. So, they are sending their products to poverty stricken areas; areas such as Latin America perhaps where agribusiness has wiped out local farming and destroyed forests to make way for soy to feed Tyson’s chickens, causing the very same poverty and hunger Tyson would have us believe they aim to alleviate. Well, that’s real big of them.

On the bright side, this massive fall in profits is very positive for our planet, animals and people. Long may it continue.