Nature-friendly farming must be at the heart of Government policy, our Global Director Debbie Tripley, told the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Wild Summit yesterday (9 September).

Speaking on the main stage, she highlighted the damaging impacts that factory farming has on our environment, and the need to transition to a more regenerative, compassionate food and farming system.

The summit brought together campaigners, policymakers, scientists, community leaders and creatives from across the UK to champion bold action for wildlife and push nature higher up the political agenda.

A driving force for wildlife restoration

Debbie Tripley, joined a panel of experts at the event in a fascinating session titled ‘Nature-friendly farming: Can farmers feed the nation and be the driving force of wildlife restoration?’

Nature recovery depends on changing the way we farm. Agricultural intensification has driven wildlife loss, but nature friendly farming offers new hope. This session explored how more farmers can be supported to adopt these approaches across the countryside, backed by the support and policies they need to make this transition.

Intensive poultry sector expansion puts nature at risk

Speaking to a packed auditorium, Debbie warned of the damage caused by intensive poultry farming and the serious risks that could arise if the Government’s proposed Poultry Sector Growth Plan leads to further expansion of the sector.

If the strategy promotes further expansion of industrial chicken production, an already highly damaging industry, it risks increasing pressure on public health, the environment and wildlife whilst locking millions more sentient animals into low welfare farming systems.

Debbie made clear that this would be a backward step at the very moment the UK needs to move towards farming that protects animals, people and the planet.

Global Director of Campaigns and Advocacy, Debbie Tripley said:

Industrial livestock agriculture is having a massive footprint and causing massive harm to climate change and biodiversity.

And its accelerating, not only globally, but it’s accelerating here through the Poultry Growth Plan, which the government believe is the right pathway for food security.

However, if we go down that line, we can expect much more of our precious nature being extinguished.

After the summer we’ve had, is it really the only answer that the government can come up with for food security?

The Government must act now for nature

As part of a coalition with Wildlife and Countryside Link, we are calling on the Government to deliver on its legal commitments to halt the decline of wildlife and protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

Today, the coalition has written to the Prime Minister urging the UK Government to make restoring, expanding and strengthening protected areas a defining priority and a core part of its vision for a better, fairer and safer future.

Taking Nature-Friendly Farming to the Main Stage at Wild Summit