Velez-Mitchell noted that the yet-to-be-passed Farm Bill features “massive subsidies” to the industrial animal agriculture sector and that cutting them would represent a “significant opportunity” for both cost savings and intervention in the country’s “growing health crisis.”

In addition to her work as a journalist, Velez-Mitchell is the founder of UnchainedTV, an animal rights-focused nonprofit streaming network. Writing about the topic for UnchainedTV, she urged other people to write to Musk and provided a petition-style template email created by Their Turn.

“Taxpayers should not be providing corporate welfare to multinational corporations that emit more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined and whose products harm our health, increase healthcare costs, and put the public at risk of deadly zoonotic disease outbreaks,” says the email. It also describes farming subsidy cuts as “obvious and sensible.”

Read more: Banks Urged To Stop Funding Animal Farms In New Open Letter

Subsidized agribusinesses perpetuate ‘an uneven playing field’

Newly re-elected President Trump seeks to reduce federal spending and has launched The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – overseen by Musk – to do so. DOGE’s activities so far have met with lawsuits, chaos, and accusations of errors and exaggeration.

Meanwhile, the US spends an approximate yearly average of $20 billion on agricultural subsidies or direct farm program payments. The majority of these subsidies go to animal farms, and 99 percent of all livestock animals raised in the US are factory-farmed.

“Lobbyists representing the animal agriculture industry have long played a pivotal role in shaping the Farm Bill, investing tens of millions of dollars to influence lawmakers,” explained Velez-Mitchell. “Data from 2019 shows that the wealthiest one percent of farm operators received nearly a quarter of total subsidies, while the top ten percent garnered nearly two-thirds. Small, independent farms often struggle to compete against these heavily subsidized agribusinesses, perpetuating an uneven playing field.”

A Congressional Research Report from 2024 predicted a 10-year baseline projection of $1.36 trillion for animal agriculture subsidies. Subsidies keep the price of animal products artificially low, instead of promoting nutritious, sustainable, and cost-efficient plant-based foods.

Factory farming has a direct, negative impact on human health, and subsidizing it costs taxpayers money every year. In contrast, investment in plant foods and alternative proteins can have significant economic potential, with myriad health and environmental benefits.

Read more: Elon Musk Falsely Claims Animals ‘Don’t Make A Difference’ To Global Warming

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The government said an amendment it was preparing in 2024 to restrict plant-based food labelling would protect consumers from confusion. It meant Czech producers would have had to rebrand and would have been at a disadvantage in the wider European plant-based market. But the amendment was met with backlash from campaigners and businesses. ProVeg Czechia commissioned a survey that showed a majority of people were in favor of using “meat” terms on plant-based food.

“I believe that manufacturers will fairly label their products so that each customer clearly knows what they’re buying,” Czech agriculture minister Marek Výborný said in an Instagram post last week. “On the contrary, the customer is entitled and knows what he’s buying. I really have no ambition to educate people.” The decision reflects a wider pushback against the introduction of such bans elsewhere in Europe. France dropped a bid to protect “meat” words in April 2024. In October, the European Court of Justice ruled such that restrictions were likely not legal.

Read more: Plant-Based Milk And Meat Are Now Mainstream In Europe, Report Finds

Martin Ranninger, Co-Director of ProVeg Czechia, said in a statement that ProVeg “welcomed” the move. “This decision reflects the opinions of both consumers and producers, and demonstrates that common sense has prevailed over industry pressure,” he said.

A growing taste for plant-based meat

Vegan food is increasingly popular in the Czech Republic. In 2020, the country ranked as one of the most vegan-friendly places in Europe. This is because it has a relatively high number of plant-based eateries compared to population size.

Czech plant-based meat brands include VeganGrill and Mana, which both make burger patties from plant protein. Mana describes its patty as the “first nutritionally complete burger in the world.” In 2020, Belzepub in Prague went fully vegan and put Mana burgers on its menu.

In 2024, the first Czech vegan butcher’s opened in Prague, selling plant-based versions of popular Czech foods, including chlebíček (Czech sandwiches), cold cuts, and meat loaf.

Read more: ‘Food For Profit’: The New Documentary On Factory Farming In Europe

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: ‘What Food History Tells Us About Living Longer’

RFK Jr is a divisive figure. He repeats controversial and widely debunked conspiracy theories on everything from vaccines to fluoride. He has also promoted high-risk fad foods such as raw milk.

RFK Jr’s appointment as the Secretary of Health will entrust him with providing “effective health and human services,” as well as fostering “sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.”

Many medical professionals have criticized his appointment, contrasting his wild theorizing with the seriousness of the role. One Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity referred to the decision as a “slap in the face” of evidence-based health policies, particularly in light of RFK Jr’s repeated criticism of vaccines.

Despite his many unsupported health claims, some professionals have welcomed the opportunity to “galvanize” progress in areas that they, RFK Jr, and much of the American public share ground. In particular, RFK is an outspoken critic of the “heavily processed unhealthy foods” which make up approximately 60-70 percent of the standard American diet (SAD).

Processed foods come with both risks and benefits

Rohini Bajekal, Nutritionist and Communications Lead at Plant-Based Health Professionals UK (PBHP) tells Plant Based News (PBN) that many ultra-processed foods (UPFs) combine fat, sugar, salt, and artificial flavors, eschewing fiber and nutrients.

“They are considered hyper-palatable: this means they are irresistible, easy to overconsume, and are capable of hijacking the brain’s reward system thus provoking powerful cravings,” explains Bajekal. “This can lead to overconsumption.”

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that UPF overconsumption increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, cancers, and poor gut health. However, the phrase “ultra-processed” is very general, encompassing many different foods with varying nutritional values, degrees of processing, and perceived healthfulness.

Some UPFs are best described as “food-like substances,” a phrase used by Bajekal for items with almost no nutritional value at all, but for other foods, processing can improve nutrient density. For example, cooked, canned, and concentrated tomatoes typically contain more bioavailable lycopene, a “powerful antioxidant” with confirmed anti-cancer properties.

Fermentation, which can also be considered a form of food processing, adds nutritional value to the base ingredients, as in tempeh. Meanwhile, freezer technology enables the year-round storage and consumption of nutritious foods. RFK has been particularly critical of pasteurization, but the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria in food and drinks like milk, juice, beer, and canned foods, aiding human health and saving countless lives.

“Not all processed foods are created equal,” notes Bajekal. “Canning, cooking, freezing, fermenting, and drying are all processing methods. There are usually both positive and negative implications for nutrition as a result of them.”

Read more: New ‘Ultra-Processed’ Guide Answers All Your Questions On UPFs

Processed foods play an ‘important role’ in many people’s diets

RFK Jr has specifically targeted processed cereals, and said that “kids shouldn’t be eating grains.” But while excessive consumption of refined grain does come with potential health risks, many Americans also rely on fortified cereals to mitigate nutrient deficiencies – a pressing issue for most of the population.

“Processed foods play an important role in many people’s diets. This may be due to time, cost, cooking ability or access, health issues, or any unique nutritional needs,” explains Bajekal. “They can also help certain groups of people such as children or older adults meet their nutritional needs.”

“Some processed foods make eating more enjoyable, convenient, and easier to meet my nutrient needs,” adds Bajekal. She tells PBN that some of her go-to processed foods included fortified plant milks, yogurts, and calcium-set tofu.

Plant-based products like these are some of the most criticized UPFs of all, but studies indicate that even processed options are typically healthier and more sustainable than meat and dairy. Bajekal says that negative narratives around plant foods are used as “an excuse” to promote animal-based foods as “natural,” or “unprocessed.”

Processed animal products and negative health outcomes

In addition to grains, RFK Jr has criticized seed oils, which he says kids should also not eat. He has said that the broader move away from traditional animal fats like beef tallow towards vegetable oils is responsible for rising obesity rates nationwide.

“There is no evidence to reflect this,” said Bajekal. “In fact, the data shows that seed oils or many vegetable oils can benefit human health.”

Plant-based oils are certainly thought to be better for heart health than tallow and dairy butter, and a major 20-year review from earlier this year found that eating a plant-based diet was “significantly associated” with better health markers.

A recent deep dive into RFK Jr’s claims about the benefits of tallow by The Atlantic noted that a national shift from saturated to polyunsaturated fats in the middle of the 20th century was followed by a 56 percent reduction in heart disease deaths. Longstanding medical advice suggests limiting the consumption of saturated animal fats to lower obesity risk and cardiovascular disease risk.

It’s worth noting here that certain highly processed animal-based foods are strongly linked to negative health outcomes but have not been specifically addressed by RFK Jr. For example, bacon, ham, hot dogs, and salami are all group 1 carcinogens, meaning they are known to cause cancer. Red meat is linked to colorectal cancer and diabetes, while dairy products are a major source of salt and saturated fat. (The average American eats approximately 42 pounds of cheese per year.)

‘Make America healthy again’

RFK Jr’s criticism of UPFs undoubtedly reflects the concerns of many medical professionals and American citizens. However, his comments repeatedly fail to acknowledge the need for more scientific research in this area, the complexity of the subject, countless intersecting socioeconomic factors, and the specific role of animal products – both processed and unprocessed – in negative health outcomes.

RFK Jr’s promotion of animal ingredients in place of plant-based ones also does not take into account the way animal agriculture negatively impacts the environment, the climate crisis, and human health, or how all of those outcomes are interlinked.

There is currently a multi-state bird flu outbreak amongst dairy cows in the US. Earlier this year, Robert Redfield, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that bird flu is “very likely” to be the next human pandemic. While RFK Jr has been extremely critical of the CDC, he has yet to comment on the role of animal farming in contemporary health crises.

Approximately 99 percent of all animals raised for food in the US are factory-farmed. The cramped, inhumane conditions of factory farming increase zoonotic disease risk, while the industry’s overuse of antibiotics further undermines public health, causing illness and death. While the impact of processed foods requires immediate further investigation, the role of animal products and factory farming in public health also demands the fullest consideration from the US government’s Department of Health and Human Services, whoever the Secretary of Health may be.

Read more: Plant-Based Diets Nearly 20% Cheaper Than Standard American Diet, Research Finds

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Why People In The UK Are Pouring Milk Down The Toilet

The UK’s Court of Appeal said that only traditional milk derived from animals can use the word “milk,” and plant-based alternatives like those produced by Oatly cannot.

This is the latest development in a long-running legal battle between the Swedish plant milk brand and Dairy UK, the trade association representing the interest of Britain’s dairy industry.

Oatly first attempted to trademark its slogan “Post Milk Generation” in 2019. In January 2023, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) ruled that the use of the word “milk” in this way was “deceptive,” but Oatly successfully appealed against the decision in December 2023.

At the time, the High Court’s Justice Richard Smith ruled that Oatly’s slogan and products were clearly “for consumers who no longer consume dairy milk,” and would not confuse shoppers. However, the UK’s Court of Appeal has now overturned Smith’s decision.

“Be under no illusion that making it harder to label and find dairy alternatives benefits the interests of Big Dairy and Big Dairy alone,” said Oatly UK & Ireland general manager Bryon Carroll, as reported by FoodBev Media.

Read more: What Is Fish Milk?

Dairy UK’s legal action ‘cynical attempts to stifle competition’

Debate and legal battles over the use of words historically associated with animal products are ongoing throughout Europe and the rest of the world. In October, The European Court of Justice (ECJ) struck down France’s attempt to ban “meaty” terms on plant-based products.

In June, Thailand published draft regulations to ban meat and dairy-related words like “patties” and “sausages” on plant-based foods. Last year, Poland and Italy made similar moves to limit and censor what language can be used to market meat alternatives. Due to a lack of consensus, Belgium appears to have shelved plans to restrict “meaty” labels.

Carroll added that Dairy UK’s “cynical attempts to stifle competition” are not in the interest of the British consumer, and further delay progress towards a more sustainable food system. “We will always stand up for what is right and we are considering our options,” he said.

Read more: New Investigation Warns Of Factory Farming’s ‘Silent Takeover’ In UK Dairy

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: New York City’s Foie Gras Ban Challenged By State

Pessac, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, has joined municipalities including Bordeaux, Poitiers, and Montpellier in introducing such a ban. The town’s Mayor, Franck Raynal, wrote to the animal rights organization L214 about the matter. He cited Pessac’s progress in implementing its animal cause action plan for 2021 to 2026.

“As part of its commitment and keen to be attentive to the breeding conditions for the production of foie gras, the City of Pessac formally prohibits the service of foodstuffs based on foie gras during municipal events,” Raynal wrote. He is the region’s first conservative mayor to take this stance on foie gras.

Read more: France Just Suspended Its Ban On Words Like ‘Steak’ For Plant Foods

Foie gras is a pâté made from goose or duck livers. It’s produced by force-feeding the animals, often multiple times a day, to make their livers swell and become fatty. L214 has long campaigned against foie gras and has previously revealed the abysmal conditions that breeding birds in the industry are kept in.

Plant-based alternatives

Raynal’s letter said that plant-based alternatives to foie gras would be introduced in schools and municipal catering instead.

There is growing interest in foie gras alternatives as people seek more ethical food options. French startup Gourmey made the world’s first cultivated foie gras in 2021, using stem cells from a duck egg. The company is now seeking regulatory approval in markets including the UK and US.

When French Michelin-starred chef Alexis Gauthier turned his restaurant Gauthier Soho completely vegan, he created “faux gras” using plants. Writing in Plant Based News in 2021, he said that the creation actually grew his customer base as people were so intrigued to try it.

Read more: Planted To Launch Fermented Whole Cut Steak in France

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: The UK Government Is Facing Legal Action Over Lobsters – Here’s Why

Measure DD, a citizen-initiated ballot measure, called for a ban of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Berkeley. CAFOs are large-scale industrial farms where animals like cows, pigs, and chickens are densely confined for meat, dairy, or egg production. CAFOs may also house animals for other industries, including entertainment or sport. CAFOs are notorious for having little regard for animal well-being, instead focusing on maximizing profits by keeping as many animals as possible.

Currently, there are no CAFOs in Berkeley. The last remaining farm, a horse racing facility named Golden Gate Fields, closed in June of this year following prolonged protests over animal deaths. The new ban will ensure that no CAFOs can be built in the city. With over half the votes counted, 60 percent of voters supported the ban. According to groups Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and Compassionate Bay, which led the efforts to gain signatures, the ban will be put in place once the official vote is certified. 

“Residents of Berkeley have just taken a historic stand for animals and the planet we all share,” said Almira Tanner, a Berkeley resident and lead organizer of DxE, in a statement. “The extreme heat, hurricanes, and flooding we’re seeing today will only get worse if we don’t act quickly to stop the biggest contributors to climate change, including animal agriculture.”

Read more: ‘Transfarmation’ Stories: The Farmers Switching From Animals To Crops

Factory farming in the USA

CAFOs are big business in the US, and at least 99 percent of animals are factory farmed in the country. CAFOs are defined in Measure DD as “agricultural operations where animals have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period.” In other words, animals housed in CAFOs are not allowed outside for 45 days or more in this period. To be classed as a CAFO, farms must also exceed certain size thresholds established by the US Environmental Protection Agency or pose a risk to water quality.

Factory farms are widely regarded as the cruelest forms of animal farming. On a typical CAFO, animals will have limited or no access to the outside, and many will spend most of their lives in cages. Some intensive farms hold hundreds of thousands – or even more than a million – animals at a time. CAFOs are also devastating for the environment, and affect local communities due to the water and air pollution they cause.  

There are also growing concerns about the pandemic risk associated with factory farms. Bird flu, which has been described as a “ticking time bomb,” has been found in cows on a number of dairy farms throughout the US. Earlier this week, it was reported that there have been more cases among dairy workers than previously thought. 

DxE has expressed hope that the Berkeley ban will inspire other cities to follow suit. 

Read more: Don’t Believe The Myths: The Horse Racing Industry Is Rotten To Its Core

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

Read more: Planted To Launch Fermented Whole Cut Steak in France

A country can only stop plant-based products from using meat-based terms that already have a specific legal name, the ECJ judge ruled. Generic terms such as sausage, steak, or burger do not have strict legal definitions and so can be used to describe vegan food.

The ruling comes after organizations including Protéines France and the European Vegetarian Union (EVU), along with Beyond Meat, challenged the French government in its second attempt to introduce a ban through a decree. It had already tried once in 2022 and again this year in February. In April, France’s top administrative court suspended the decree issued by the French government. It said there was “a serious doubt over the legality of such a ban,” and that it would remain suspended until the ECJ could review it and make a final ruling.

Belgium had also considered bringing in a ban but put it on hold earlier this year.

Sufficient protection

Meat lobbyists and governments attempting to restrict the use of meaty names had argued that consumers could be confused by their use on plant-based products.

But the ECJ said that consumers are already sufficiently protected from being misled by the use of meaty names on vegan food by EU law. However, if a food label or marketing is found to be misleading, member states can take action accordingly.

Read more: More Than Half Of Europeans Are Cutting Down Meat, Study Finds

The ECJ’s ruling also aims to protect the “harmonisation” of the EU single market. Some countries disallowing plant-based food from using meat terms would have made it difficult for them to be sold across borders.

“We welcome the clarity given by the European Court of Justice in this judgement,” Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, said in a statement. “We now hope that the French court will take to heart what has been said about the disruption that a ban on ‘meaty’ names for plant-based food will cause and dismiss the restriction accordingly.”

Read more: Nebraska Governor Takes Steps Towards Banning Cultivated Meat

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Fox Hunters Seek To Be ‘Protected Minority Group’ Under Equality Laws

The organization’s legal expert on human rights, Dr. Jeanette Rowley, challenged the NHS over veganism’s inclusion in the training materials. After submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the NHS, she was directed to the NHS training provider, Skills for Health. The provider eventually confirmed that references to veganism had been removed from the materials.

Prevent is the government’s counter-terrorism program that aims to stop individuals from becoming radicalized. NHS staff are taught to look for warning signs of radicalization in patients.

Dr. Rowley said in a statement that vegans and people transitioning to veganism had been “caught in the net of counter terrorism measures” for behaving in “normal” ways for people who care about animals. The change to the materials “is a critical step towards ensuring that ethical veganism, a protected belief, is not misrepresented or mischaracterised by public institutions,” she said.

Plant Based News has reached out to the NHS and Skills for Health for comment.

Vegan groups considered extremist

While the NHS materials referred to veganism in general, counter-terrorism police training materials name specific vegan groups.

In 2020, it came to light that a counter-terrorism guide intended for police officers, teachers, and government organizations named PETA, Animal Aid, and Sea Shepherd alongside far-right extremist groups. Environmental groups were also targeted, with Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace named in the guide.

Read more: Sea Shepherd Founder Paul Watson Remains Detained As Japan Extradition Considered

At the time, a spokesperson for Counter-Terrorism Policing said: “The guidance document in question explicitly states that many of the groups included are not of counter terrorism interest, and that membership of them does not indicate criminality of any kind.”

In 2017, a leaked memo revealed that the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers had met with counter-terrorism police to discuss how to respond to vigils held at slaughterhouses by the animal activists from the Save movement.

Read more: ‘It’s Shocking’: NHS Sparks Outrage After Serving ‘Culled’ Deer To Patients

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Why The Ministry Of Defence Is Being Sued Over The King’s Guard’s Caps

According to figures from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), prices have soared by 30 percent in a year, bringing the total cost of each cap to £2,040. Over the last nine years, the MoD has spent more than £1 million on caps for the King’s Guard, who are famously stationed outside of royal residences (Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace). The King’s Guard uniform has stayed mostly unchanged since the 1800s, and the 19-inch tall black caps are regarded as a key part of it. 

The caps, which are made of real fur taken from black bears, have long been controversial. Animal rights group PETA is renewing calls for the government to move towards a faux alternative.

The real cost of King’s Guard caps

PETA has been campaigning against the use of real fur caps for years.

The caps are made from fur from Canadian black bears. The bears will either be shot or ensnared in traps. They may be left to die slowly, meaning they will potentially suffer in pain for days. If a mother bear is caught, her cubs will also die as a result. Some argue that the fur is taken from bears who were killed in “culls” overseen by the Canadian authorities, but PETA disputes this. The organization says that the Canadian government instead issues “tags” to hunters, who are then free to hunt for recreation and sell the animals’ furs. 

PETA previously conducted a YouGov poll that found that 78 percent of people in the UK believe that the caps should transition towards faux fur. 

Read more: Pamela Anderson Slams UK Government For Killing Up To 1,000 Bears For Queen’s Guard Caps

Alternatives to real fur for the King’s Guard caps

Back in 2022, PETA teamed up with a luxury faux fur brand named Ecopel to create a vegan cap. The organization said at the time that the new caps, as well as being almost indistinguishable from fur, outperformed fur in durability and sustainability tests. They were also reportedly more comfortable and dried more quickly. Ecopel offered to replace the caps free of charge until 2030. 

“The humane, high-performing faux fur created by Ecopel gives a nod to tradition while preventing sensitive bears from being viciously slaughtered for their fur,” PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk said.

Despite this, the Conservative government at the time doubled down on the continued use of real fur. There are some hopes now that the Labour government, which came into power earlier this year, could consider a move toward more humane caps.

Stephanie Peacock, who previously served as shadow defence minister when Labour were the opposition party, previously called for a review of the use of real fur in King’s Guard caps. “It is incredibly important that traditions develop and adapt if they are to survive,” she said.

Read more: Simon Pegg And Alesha Dixon Campaign Against Queen’s Guard Bearskin Caps

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

Read more: A 50% Market Share For Alt Proteins Could Reduce GHGs More Than EVs, Says Report

A bill banning the sale of cultured or cultivated meat grown from animal cells was unanimously passed by the Romanian senate. It will be voted on in the Chamber of Deputies later this month.

Snoop, an independent Romanian media company with a focus on investigative journalism, published its analysis of the national situation at the start of September.

“The initiators of the law have close ties with industrial livestock farms and, together with other businessmen around them, own thousands of hectares, being important players in the meat market,” write Snoop journalists Matei Bărbulescu and Andrei Petre.

Read more: Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Healthier And Better For The Planet, Report Finds

Animal agriculture lobbyists driving force behind clampdown on cultured meat

The currently governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) first announced the “Meat and Meat Products Act” in 2023. It will make it compulsory for traders to shelve nationally produced meat separately from important cuts, making it easily identifiable to shoppers.

However, when the act entered the legislative process a month after its announcement, it contained an additional section – Article 5 – to prohibit all marketing of cultivated meat.

An explanatory memorandum lists male fertility and overall well-being among the benefits of meat consumption – despite a growing body of evidence to the contrary – and states that Article 5 is necessary to protect the national “cuisine, food tradition, and food health.”

Cultivated meat is not yet regulated in the EU, and the European Commission has now withdrawn a proposal to promote alternative proteins in its climate action plan after protests by farmers earlier this year. Italy officially banned cultivated meat in 2023.

A separate report published by Unearthed, the investigative arm of Greenpeace UK, also highlights increasing EU hostility towards cultivated meat and alternative proteins. This backlash “is being driven by an influential lobbying campaign fronted by a former beef industry executive and funded by livestock interests,” said the report.

Despite the meat industry’s intensive lobbying, the average European still cutting down on animal products. A survey at the end of 2023 suggests that over 50 percent of people on the continent are reducing their meat consumption for health, the environment, and animals.

Read more: Cultivated Meat For Companion Animals Approved In The UK

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: UK Children’s Parliament Members Speak Out In Favor Of Plant-Based School Meals

This allows schools to have greater flexibility in what they serve to students while meeting nutritional standards. The USDA received more than 100 comments from the public on the provision to allow beans, peas, and lentils to replace meat. Many were supportive of the change to increase consumption of beans, peas, and lentils. According to the USDA, they described these foods as “versatile, inexpensive, sustainable, nutritious, and under-consumed by children and adolescents.”

Nuts and bean dips are in

Previous rules stated that nuts and seeds could only be served as an accompaniment to main meals or to only count towards half of a meat component of a meal. Now, cafeterias can choose to used them to fully replace meat. Hundreds of respondents to this provision expressed support for the change. They noted that nuts and seeds are “good sources of protein, vitamin E, fiber, and many minerals as well as a good source of healthy fats.”

Read more: US School District Ditches Eggs Due To Avian Flu

Schools can now also sell dips made from beans such as hummus as “Smart Snacks” between meal times. Such snacks must not exceed limits set for calories, salt, fat, and sugar. Previously, the list of foods classified as Smart Snacks included reduced-fat cheese, eggs, and celery and peanut butter. Hundreds of supportive responses praised bean dips as healthy and nutritious, and being more inclusive for students on vegan and vegetarians diets.

The new rules came into effect on July 1 and can be phased in by schools gradually. School meals are the main source of healthy food in the diets of US school children.

Read more: Scottish Meat Industry Launches ‘Meat Vouchers’ For Schools

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

The report comes from a high level forum called Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. It was a joint effort from 29 organizations, including farming lobbies, environmental groups, and NGOs. Following seven months of negotiations, the 110-page report was delivered to Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, earlier today (September 4). 

Among the report’s findings is that Europe consumes more meat than scientists recommend, and that more needs to be done to promote plant-based foods. The authors recommend that the EU introduces an Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods by 2026 “to strengthen the plant-based agri-food chains from farmers all the way to consumers.”

One of their proposals is a rethink of farming subsidies. A report published in April of this year found that the EU was pumping four times more subsidies into animal farming than growing plants. The new report calls for a “just transition fund” to help farmers become more sustainable. Greater education about plant-based proteins, as well as voluntary buyouts of farms and stricter marketing, is also proposed. 

We don’t know if or when any recommendations from the report will become policy. According to the Guardian, von der Leyen has said that the results of the report would feed into her planned vision for agriculture.

Plant-based groups praise the report

The report has been met with praise from several plant-based advocacy groups. Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, an NGO specializing in food system change, said that the recommendations could “represent a seismic shift for the plant-based food sector” if they are implemented. 

“The EU is listening to the science and is aware of the significant impact of climate change and how food can impact greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water usage, and human health,” she said. “It is heartening to know that a serious recommendation has been made to promote climate-friendly, plant-based foods and give nature a fighting chance to recover.”

Rafael Pinto, policy manager at European Vegetarian Union (EVU) said the report could present a “key opportunity to improve sustainability and reward good practices in farming, develop our economy, and protect people’s health.”

As reported by the Guardian, some commentators have also expressed disappointment that the recommendations didn’t go far enough on issues like animal welfare.

The environmental impact of meat

Animal agriculture is devastating for the planet. While the environmental conversation tends to focus on fossil fuels, studies have shown that our food system alone would push the world beyond the 1.5C Paris Climate Agreement limit, even if all fossil fuels were eliminated entirely.

Farming animals is responsible for at least 16.5 percent of global greenhouse emissions (some estimates put this figure much higher). One of the most significant problems is methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that’s thought to be 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide in its first two decades in the atmosphere. Studies have shown that animal agriculture contributes to a third of human-caused methane. 

Arguably the biggest environmental concern about animal farming is land use. Farming “livestock” is a leading cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss, as land is cleared to make room for farms for feed and the animals themselves. Around 26 percent of the world’s ice-free land is taken up by grazing animals. 

A plant-based shift in Europe

Despite animal agriculture’s huge environmental costs, governments have been slow to recognize, let alone address, the issues it causes. In October last year, however, Denmark became the first country in the world to publish a roadmap towards a more plant-based food system. It outlined plans to reduce its environmental footprint by investing in animal-free proteins. 

Plant-based groups are hoping that this new report could signal that the EU is following in Denmark’s footsteps. 

“Denmark has already shown the way with the introduction of its Plant-Based Action Plan so it is very exciting that this is being considered at EU level as well,” Lucia Hortelano, senior EU policy manager at ProVeg, said in a statement. “We can expect more funding to flow into the plant-based sector under this plan, be that for research, farming, and public procurement.”

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

Read more: The ‘World’s First’ Octopus Farm – Everything You Need To Know

The legislation describes octopuses as “highly intelligent, curious, problem-solving animals.” It acknowledged the threat to their welfare posed by being farmed and well as the additional pressure feeding them would put on wild fish populations.

“This law is another signal to companies and entrepreneurs that octopus farming is a bad investment,” said Compassion in World Farming.

Washington State passed a ban on octopus farming in the state in March. Though there were no plans to start octopus farming there, campaigners said it “shows the growing global support that exists for a ban on octopus farming.”

Read more: Protestors Unite Around The Globe To Stop The World’s First Octopus Farm

The growing threat of octopus farming

Spanish seafood company Nueva Pescanova has had plans to open the world’s first intensive commercial octopus farm in the Canary Islands for several years. But the project has been met with significant public protest and several setbacks. The Canary Islands government rejected the environmental assessment submitted by Nueva Pescanova earlier this year. The assessment reportedly lacked basic information about the potential impact of the farm on the environment and public health.

An octopus farm was already in operation in Hawaii until it lost its permits in 2023. Though it marketed itself as a conservation facility, an investigation by animal activist Laura Lee Cascada revealed Kanaloa Octopus Farm to be little more than a petting zoo. The owner appeared to have plans to eventually sell farmed octopus for food. Kanaloa says it is now in the process of moving to a different site and reopen in future.

Legislation to ban octopus farming is currently under consideration in Hawaii.

The only other known octopus farm is in Mexico, where octopuses are bred meat. Researchers at the farm are trying to work out how to reduce the high mortality rate of octopuses bred in captivity.

This article was updated on September 4, 2024. An earlier version of this article stated that the bill to ban octopus farming had already been signed into law, but it’s still awaiting official sign-off.

Read more: Octopus Farming: Why It’s A Travesty For Animal Welfare And The Environment

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Cultivated Meat For Companion Animals Approved In The UK

The order forbids state agencies from buying cultivated meat products. It also requires businesses that contract with the state not to discriminate against “natural-meat producers” in favor of cultivated meat producers. Meanwhile, new labeling regulations from Nebraska Department of Agriculture will require manufactured protein or cultivated meat to be clearly distinguishable from meat from animals.

Pillen, whose family runs multiple pig farms, hopes to bring in legislation in 2025 to completely ban the sale of cultivated meat products within Nebraska.

“We’re being proactive and making sure that silly things aren’t happening, because they are happening on the Coasts,” Pillen said during a press conference hosted at a Nebraska cow farm in August, according to the Nebraska Examiner. He said that Nebraska was launching “a full-blown attack on lab-grown meats and fake meat.”

Industry pushback

Cultivated chicken received approval for sale from the US Department of Agriculture in 2023. Since then, Florida and Alabama have passed laws banning the sale of cultivated meat within the states. In Florida, breaking this law could land you in jail for 60 days. In Alabama, the punishment is up to 90 days in jail and a fine of $500. This is despite cultivated meat not yet having made it onto supermarket shelves or into restaurants beyond a few special dinners.

Read more: Cultured Meat Brand Aims To Spare 27 Million Animals After Raising Nearly $100M

These laws reflect the power of the meat industry in these states and the US as a whole, where meat companies spend millions on political donations and lobbying efforts to shape legislation in its favor. Florida is the ninth biggest producer of meat from cows in the US. In Alabama, beef is a $2.5 billion industry. Meat production from cows in the biggest agricultural sector in Nebraska, which is also home to a huge $1 billion chicken processing facility owned by Costco.

Read more: Why Cultured Meat Could Be The Answer To The Global Overfishing Crisis

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

Read more: Brazil Is Expanding Its Beef Exports – What Does This Mean For The Amazon?

A federal court froze the assets of Dirceu Kruger, a Brazilian animal farmer, and ordered him to pay just over BRL $292 million (around USD $50 million) to restore the thousands of hectares of the invaluable Amazon rainforest he has destroyed to create pasture for cows.

The news marks the largest ever civil case brought to court for climate-related crimes in Brazil and signifies further national efforts both to deter lawbreaking and repair some of the damage done via Brazil’s climate emergency fund.

However, the court noted that no action taken now could entirely undo the negative environmental impact of Kruger’s deforestation. In addition to the compensation, the court banned him from selling cows and agricultural products and buying related chainsaws, tractors, and other machinery.

Read more: Cattle Australia Claims Clearing Forests Grown After 1990 Shouldn’t Be Considered Deforestation

Brazil renews efforts to halt illegal Amazon deforestation

The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) said that Kruger destroyed 5,600 hectares of public land in Boca do Acre and Lábrea between 2003 and 2016. He cut down trees with chainsaws and fires, then planted grass in the aftermath.

Satellite images showed the extent of the damage caused by Kruger’s illegal deforestation, and a video confession from the farmer himself confirmed his methods.

The attorney general’s office, which represented Ibama, argued that the farmer’s fires both directly emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) and removed the valuable carbon storage of rainforest. (Even when legal, the beef industry itself also creates a huge quantity of GHG emissions.)

The Brazilian government described the case as “only the first” of a series that will seek to repair “climate damage caused by the destruction not only of the Amazon, but of all Brazilian biomes.” In June, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva unveiled plans to eliminate the record-high rates of Amazon deforestation he inherited from his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro by 2030 with strengthened law enforcement against environmental crimes.

Read more: Amazon Rainforest Faces ‘Unprecedented Stresses’ As Tipping Points Near

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.