EVU Talks 2007: The veggie answer to global hunger

Statement by the European Vegetarian Union

Following a debate about the problem of global hunger, it is declared that vegetarianism offers the possibility of considerably alleviating the growing threat.

Feeding large percentages of available human food crops to farm animals is unethical and represents a blatant lack of solidarity with the hungry.

The existing water shortage is aggravated by ever-larger quantities of water being used for animal husbandry, leaving less for crops.

The present high production of meat is uneconomical and can only be maintained with huge financial subsidies, leading to harsh social injustice.

The FAO report "Livestock's long shadow" states that livestock farming already generates almost a fifth of greenhouse gases, which are expected to raise the average temperature. Global warming leads to droughts, failing harvests and even more hardship for the poor.

The artificial extension of the food chain due to the transformation of grain into meat causes a huge waste of resources.

The European Vegetarian Union demands that:

--national and international decision makers stop subsidizing the production of meat and invest instead in sustainable aid programmes;

--meat packages carry warnings informing about the hazard which animal husbandry represents to the environment and food security;

--international organizations and agencies incorporate the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle into future strategies for the fight against global hunger.

A healthy life without meat is possible, beneficial for the environment and allows a fairer distribution of natural riches.

Any policy pretending that the consumption of meat has to be the social norm is rejected.

Vienna, 1 May 2007

Renato Pichler
President
European Vegetarian Union (EVU)

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List of endorsements

Source: European Vegetarian Union (EVU)
Author: Herma Caelen

Link: Barbara Ruetting: Healing the Planet with a Vegetarian Diet
Link: Europeans support the Millennium Development Goals
Link: if you want to endorse the EVU statement, please send name (individual and/or organisation), website and/or e-mail until 9 May
Link: Renato Pichler: The veggie answer to global hunger - PDF
Link: WSPA Report Says Factory Farming Exacerbates Global Poverty


Other EVANA-articles about this topic:
FAO: Record cereal production forecast in 2007 but supply/demand situation to remain tight (en)

EVU TALKS 2007: het vegetarische antwoord op de honger in de wereld (nl)

Conferenza EVU 2007: la risposta vegetariana alla fame nel mondo (it)

FAO: What about the Right to Food? (en)

EVU Talks 2007 - The veggie answer to global hunger: List of endorsements of the EVU statement (en)

EVU Talks 2007: La réponse végétarienne à la faim dans le monde (fr)

EVU Talks 2007: La respuesta vegetariana al hambre global (es)

Encontros EVU, 2007: A resposta vegetariana contra a fome mundial (pt)

EVU TALKS 2007: 'DIE VEGETARISCHE ANTWORT AUF DAS WELTHUNGERPROBLEM' (de)

'I can foresee that in the not-so-distant-future people will eat only vegetarian food' (en)