Stop Tesco's plans for power
Tesco is fiercely lobbying the Government not to introduce a new competition test to stop supermarkets opening new stores in places where they already control the majority of the local market.
Email
John Healey, the Minister for Planning, and ask the Government to stand
up to Tesco and support vibrant, environmentally friendly communities...
Tell Government to stop being chicken
The Government has released its latest vision for food and farming, Food 2030. But rather than fixing the food chain, the strategy serves up business as usual.
Email
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, and ask
him to commit to proper action to fix the food chain...
Fix the food chain - next steps
The meat and dairy industry produces more climate-changing emissions than every plane, train and car on the planet - 18% of the global total. As well as reducing the amount of meat and dairy we eat, we also need to move away from the kind of intensive farming that relies on imports of soy, which is a major driver of deforestation in South America.
Click
here to check if your MP has signed Early Day Motion 845. If
they have, ask them to publicly
support the Food Chain campaign and write to Hilary Benn, Secretary
of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to raise their
concerns about the impact of meat and dairy production...
Call for a fair deal for farmers
The Competition Commission's final report on supermarkets has confirmed that the big retailers have been treating farmers and suppliers unfairly. A tough new independent supermarket watchdog is needed to redress the balance, but the supermarkets have so far refused to sign up to the idea.
Ask
your MP to sign Early
Day Motion 560, and write to Business Secretary
Peter Mandelson to ask him to commit to tough rules to protect farmers
and suppliers...
Stop supermarket swamping
There has been a worrying development in the fight against supermarket dominance. Proposals for a new set of planning rules could make it even easier for supermarkets to set up shop by prioritising a narrow pursuit of economic growth over vibrant, environmentally-friendly communities.
Ask
your MP to write to John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities
and Local Government, and ask him to commit to protect and support
sustainable and thriving local communities...
Stop the soy greenwash
The Netherlands-based retail multinational Ahold, which operates in Europe and the United States, is an influential member of the Round Table for Responsible Soy (RTRS).
Even so, through its supermarket subsidiaries, it still continues to sell meat that has been reared on irresponsibly produced soy in Latin America.
Email
Ahold and demand that it stops hiding behind the Round Table
for Responsible Soy and instead takes real measures to stop the use
of unsustainable soy in animal feed...
Fight for the right to choose GM-free
After a public consultation in 2006, DEFRA has outlined its proposals for the rules needed to control GM contamination if and when GM crops are grown in England. However, these proposals for the ‘coexistence’ of GM crops with conventional and organic crops are legally flawed and will result in routine, unlabelled, GM contamination.
Ask
your MP to write to Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, to ensure that the final 'coexistence'
regulations comply with EU law.
Friends of the Earth has carried out a survey on supermarkets' policies on GM animal feed. This survey has revealed which supermarkets provide the fewest non-GM options: Asda, Budgens, Iceland, Morrisons, Somerfield and Tesco.
Contact
these supermarkets and ask them to eliminate GM animal feed from
their products.
Buy locally produced food
This helps support the economy of the local area and cuts down on the distance the produce needs to travel, thus reducing greenhouse gas pollution. Visit out Real Food Guide to find out where to find local produce...
Eat in season
Large areas of land in developing countries are used to provide us with out-of-season produce. Farmers then have to buy the food they need, when they once grew it for free.
Cut down on meat consumption
Meat production consumes vast amounts of resources - 10,000 litres of water are needed to produce one kilogram of beef, compared with only 500 litres of water to produce the same weight of potatoes.
(Certain actions taken from 'Go MAD!', published by The Ecologist)