Earlier this month, The
Guardian spotlighted the success of the fossil fuel divestment movement
and its implications in the fight against cruel and unsustainable meat
production.
More than 400 institutions have committed to divesting from
oil and coal companies in an effort to curb climate change, and now campaigners
are urging investors to ditch factory farming:
The emerging divestment movement targets investors who support factory farming either directly through the publicly-listed companies in which they hold stocks or indirectly through other companies that purchase animal-products. The aim is either to get them to engage with companies and pressure them to improve practices, or to move their money away from such companies for good.
From massive water and air pollution to extreme confinement
and painful mutilations of animals, the meat industry’s practices are financial
liabilities, to say the least.
While divestment campaigns focused on factory farming are
relatively new, they’re gaining ground:
Well-known investors including Aviva, Allianz and Alliance Trust have gone public with their concerns about the risks of investing in factory farming operations, calling it a reputational and, potentially, financial concern. There are also investment funds which exclude factory farming companies.
Just last year a report
by Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return, a network of financial investors,
highlighted the growing importance of social and environmental responsibility
to consumers and its impact on the certainty of investing in factory farming.
Environmental fines and food safety scandals were also reported concerns.
Campaigns to divest in factory farming have the potential to
drastically change our world for the better by reducing or eliminating financial
support for the industry.
Whether you’re an investor or consumer, there’s never been a
better time to move away from meat. Click
here to order your FREE Vegetarian
Starter Guide.