The World Animal Protection (WAP) is calling for urgent action to create food systems that prioritise the welfare of animals, people, and the planet.
The organisation notes that as the global population continues to grow, the demand for food is rising, necessitating the need for sustainable practices to guarantee food security and food justice through the protection of animals and restoration of ecosystems.
Sally Kahiu, External Affairs Lead at WAP, made the appeal during an online webinar conference ahead of World Food Day celebrations.
Ms. Kahiu said that annually, over 70 billion land animals are raised for food through industrial production.
“This system, however, is fundamentally flawed, and we must act now to create a food system that is not only environmentally friendly but also sustainable and equitable for those who work within it,” she added.
She noted that the health of the planet, food systems, and animal welfare are interconnected, and therefore “by adopting equitable, humane, and sustainable food systems, we can achieve a better secure future for all.”
Kahiu said WAP is calling on governments to develop stronger Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets that address the urgent need to transform food systems, aligning the latest climate science to limit global warming, and to recognise equitable, humane, and sustainable systems as the solution to achieving food justice.
WAP, she added, is also advocating key changes, including the traditional food systems, and asking stakeholders to recognise the critical role that small-scale farmers play in sustainable and climate-smart agriculture that provides food and protects the environment, ensuring a climate-safe future.
Kahiu said that there is need to also bypass harmful practices caused by Industrial Animal Agriculture, that are climate unfriendly.
“African governments need to discourage the entrenchment of these systems from the global north and instead promote inherent African traditional food systems that are built on principles of nutrient circularity and agroecology,” she said.
On Climate Finance, WAP called on climate financiers to redirect much-needed finances to boost the indigenous small-scale farmers that play a critical role in providing affordable food and livelihood to the local communities.
First celebrated in 1979, World Food Day takes place annually on October 16 and promotes awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people, and the planet. This year’s World Food Day theme is “Right to foods for a better life and a better future.”
By Wangari Ndirangu
