Germans Demand Radical Change in Food System for Climate

International Green Week (IGW), one of the biggest agriculture fairs in the world took place in Berlin, Germany in January. The event attracted more than 70 agriculture ministers as well as EU commissioners. But too often at international events like these, the powerful meet to make a case for business as usual policies when we all know that we are in a planetary emergency.

Currently, direct GHG emissions from the agriculture sector account for 24% of all global emissions, and livestock emissions (including land-use change) account for 14%, which is comparable to the emissions from the whole transport sector. Ruminant meat has a greenhouse gas footprint 100 times that of plant-based foods. We are not talking about percentages here – we are talking about a factor of 100!

If we do nothing, by 2050 gas emissions from the food system alone will represent more than half of the total global emissions associated with human activities. Volunteers with Greenpeace Germany understand this. This is why Greenpeace was instrumental in organizing the “We’re Fed Up” demonstration this year. More than 35,000 people (and 171 tractors) showed up in full-force demanding a systems change for climate-friendly eco-agriculture. 

You can get involved where you live and show you’re fed up too. We’ll be campaigning in cities across the globe to reduce meat meals and increase plant-based foods. We’ll also be targetting public funds going to dirty factory farms. Stand with us – join the movement! Sign up today!

#WHES19-Demo: Lautstark, bunt und entschlossen – so haben wir am Samstag mit 35.000 Menschen eine faire #Agrarreform & eine klimagerechte #Landwirtschaft gefordert. Unsere unmissverständliche Botschaft an @JuliaKloeckner: 2019 müssen die #Agrarsubventionen umverteilt werden! pic.twitter.com/HbwBl72Tws

— Wir Haben Es Satt ! (@WirHabenEsSatt2) January 20, 2019