Activists from Greenpeace Germany peacefully protested the import of soya from destroyed forest and savanna regions in Brazil, expected to be carried on the cargo ship “Hiroshima Star” in the Lower Weser river of Germany. The large-scale cultivation of soya, around 90% of which is used as animal feed, plays a major role in emissions, the NGO noted.
The protest was held as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gathered in Geneva to finalise the Special Report on Climate Change and Land, which will be published on August 8.
As such, on Sunday, Greenpeace protesters painted “Climate Crime” on the freighter’s hull and displayed large banners from cranes in the port of Brake.
According to the IPCC, land use issues like deforestation and industrial agriculture account for nearly one quarter of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
The soya is being imported as feed for factory farms, which campaigners say further exacerbates the climate crisis.
European governments must immediately stop the import of soya from forest destruction. At the same time, they must provide incentives for local livestock farmers to adopt species-appropriate farming practices with significantly lower numbers of animals,
…said Dirk Zimmerman, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner at Greenpeace Germany.
Greenpeace is demanding that worldwide meat consumption must be halved by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In Europe and North America, it must fall even more drastically by 70 to 90%.
See also:
- Greenpeace ends 12-days protest against BP
- Greenpeace: Deep sea mining to seriously impact marine environment
