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7
Oct
2021
 
5:30 am - 7:00 pm

Most people know very little about the process of food production and distribution deliver to our tables. There is an important lack of information on the factors that come into play along the food chain and the social and environmental impacts of the current food system.

About the event:

The food industry is one of the main factors behind biodiversity loss and the worsening of global inequalities. We aim to contribute to a better understanding of the food system as a tool for social change. It is vital to understand the different processes and exercise critical thinking, as actors in the agri-food system become aware, act, and demand change.

These project will be decided into sessions that will have a European focus, but also a global one, as global is the agri-food business and, above all, its impacts. The Common Agricultural Policy and the different European strategies and policies (From Farm to Fork) will be present throughout this series of roundtables in September/ October and with the speakers we will try to analyse their positive and negative aspects regarding the topics discussed.

 

Programme:

3. THE HIDDEN COST OF CHEAP FOOD 

The EU is responsible for more than 10% of global deforestation. Global soy production -driven by a growing demand to provide food for large industrial meat farms- has more than doubled since 1997.
This rapid expansion is destroying some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, such as the Amazon and the Cerrado and Gran Chaco forests in South America.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food sector in the world. Multinationals in the aquaculture sector present fish and shellfish farming as a cheap solution to the natural limits of fisheries. These fish, however, have to be fed on fishmeal and fish oil, most of which is made from wild-caught fish and crustaceans. Spain is the EU Country with the highest production, accounting for almost a quarter of the entire union.

The production of cheap food has profound environmental, social, and health impacts. In this session, we will focus on soy monoculture for livestock feed, industrial aquaculture, and animal suffering.

Speakers:
* Olga Kikou
European Affairs Manager at Compassion in World Farming. She was President of the Green Greek
Institute and a member of the Board of the Green European Foundation.
* Nazaret Castro
Journalist, PhD in Social Sciences and co-founder of Carro de Combate, a collective dedicated to
independent journalism, which investigates the origin of the products we consume.
* Natasha Hurley
Campaign Manager Changing Markets where she is currently running a campaign to eradicate the
use of wild-caught fish in aquaculture. She was formerly Climate Campaigner at EIA lobbying for a
global phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
* Thomas Waitz
Co-chair of the European Green Party, MEP in the Greens/EFA Group. His work focuses on
sustainable agriculture, regional production and healthy food, the Common Agricultural Policy
and the reform of the animal transport directive.

Moderation:
* Lidia Ucher
Journalist specialising in social communication in the field of cooperation, the third sector and
ecology.

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Time and date: 7 October, 17:30-19:00 PM CET

Language: Simultaneous translation to English

Audience: these series of webinars are open for the general public

Registrations: Registrations are now open <<<


This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this event.

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