Dead Zones or flourishing food systems?

Most of us are aware that many animals are threatened by extinction—the plight of creatures such as polar bears, elephants and jaguars has been well publicised. While typically attributed to climate change and poaching, few people realise that there is a direct link with consumer demand for cheap meat.

Philip’s new book, Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were explores how declining wildlife is the ‘canary in the coalmine’. Food production occupies at least a third of the Earth’s surface, and the industry is growing by the day.

At the same time, the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish has halved in the last 40 years. Agriculture and the way we farm animals is at the heart of the problem.

Dead Zone is already gaining recognition, with Compassion’s patron Joanna Lumley calling it ‘a must-read book for everyone who loves the wondrous wild creatures with whom we share our precious planet’.

Find out more about Dead Zone and buy the book here.

Averting Farmageddon

In 2014, our CEO Philip Lymbery co-authored the internationally-acclaimed Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat. Published by Bloomsbury, the book exposes the myths surrounding factory farming and warns of a new wave of intensification that could take the countryside and the health of our food to breaking point.

Philip says: "In an attempt to feed the world we are in danger of sleepwalking into Farmageddon. Another wave of industrialisation is looming and would bring with it a deeply diminished countryside, surging disease, unhealthy food, and growing world hunger.

"Through Farmageddon, I'm exposing the true cost of cheap meat and calling for urgent action to save the countryside and ensure a future based on decent, nutritious food for all."

Read more about Farmaggedon here.