Published 04/04/2017

Individuals, organisations and policy-makers from all over the world are being urged to play a part in ending the devastating consequences of livestock production at an international conference later this year.

Livestock production and its use of finite resources is devastating biodiversity and pushing wildlife to the brink of extinction. With millions of over and under-nourished people and the planet in peril, it’s vital that effective and practical solutions are found.

Compassion in World Farming – in partnership with WWF, supported by the University of Winchester, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and the European Environmental Bureau – is organising the Extinction and Livestock Conference, at the QEII Centre in London, on 5 and 6 October 2017, to identify and develop those much-needed solutions.

Bringing together diverse interests – such as conservation, agriculture, land and water use, environment, climate change, forests, ethics, food policy, production, security and business – the event will act as a catalyst for future collaboration and solution development. Delegates will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of solutions-focused initiatives to be held around the world following the event.

Compassion in World Farming’s CEO, Philip Lymbery, has authored two books – Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat and Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were – examining the alarming consequences of livestock production. He said: “Intensive farming causes immense harm to wildlife, people and the environment and is one of the biggest drivers of species extinction and biodiversity loss on the planet.

“We must stop this ruthless destruction before it is too late. The Extinction and Livestock Conference will bring together people, organisations and businesses from all over the world to play their part in shaping the solutions that we so desperately need.

“I would urge anyone with a professional or personal interest in wildlife, farming, the environment or human health to join us in this vital process.” concluded Philip.

Key speakers already confirmed include: conservationist and award winning author, Dr Carl Safina; World Food Prize winner, Hans Herren; Dr Hilal Elver, UN special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; Senior Adviser for the Sustainable Development in the European Policy Strategy Center (EPSC) and former EC Director General for Environment (2009-2014) Karl Falkenberg; award-winning academic, activist and author, Raj Patel; bee expert, Professor Dave Goulson, of the University of Sussex; Britain’s best-loved environmentalist Jonathan Porritt; Professor Frank Hu of Harvard University’s School of Public Health and Tony Juniper, Special Adviser to the Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit.

There will also be contributions from renowned anthropologist Jane Goodall DBE, human rights expert Dr Olivier De Schutter and Yuval Noah Harari, author of best-sellers Sapiens and Homo Deus.

Glyn Davies, WWF’ Executive Director of Global Programmes, said: “The decline of species is reaching a critical point, and we cannot ignore the role of unsustainable livestock production. If nature is to recover, we need to work together and encourage sustainable farming systems which will limit pollution, reduce habitat loss and restore species numbers. The Extinction and Livestock conference is a launch pad for action on this global issue.”

The full conference programme will be announced in May 2017. For further information and to register go to www.extinctionconference.com

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For further information or to interview a spokesperson please contact: Hannah Yates, Media Manager, 01483 521 974 - hannah.yates@ciwf.org.uk