Published 03/09/2010

In response to the surge in meat prices raising fear of food inflation, reported widely in the media today- Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive of Compassion in World Farming, said:

"As meat prices surge, not only due to the wheat crisis but also to the soaring demand for meat from China, Brazil and other rapidly developing countries, the spotlight is thrown on why such a high proportion of global cereals are grown specifically for animal feed.

"Much of our meat sadly comes from factory farms which causes unimaginable suffering to the animals and inevitably affects the quality of the final food product. What's little known is that by feeding precious grain resources to factory farmed animals, we effectively put people and farm animals in competition for limited food stocks, thereby adding to price pressures.

"For the sake of our own well-being as well as animal welfare, it is time for us to consider moving away from factory farming to better quality meat from animals reared in more humane and natural conditions."

Read more

• Meat price surge raises fear of food inflation, The Independent
• Eating the Planet, our latest research commissioned jointly with Friends of the Earth