Op-Eds
Why “One Health” and animal welfare is key to sustainability for people and the global ecosystem
I was taking the night train to Nanyang in China's Henan province and spent the last hour before I reached my destination looking at mile upon mile of maize, or corn as it’s often known.
COP28 climate change summit must tackle the shocking amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by farming
Up to a third of greenhouse gas emissions globally are caused by food and the way it is produced
UK live animal export ban looks like it might finally happen
Refrigerated lorries mean there is no need to send animals on 60-hour journeys to be slaughtered
These regal birds gave me goosebumps as I watched them return against all odds
It might sound like a space-saving idea, but more than half of the UK’s cropland is devoted to feeding farm animals kept in cages
The Case for Lab-Grown Meat
In September 2019, the International Space Station was undertaking an extraordinary mission: to produce the first beef in space.
‘Ghost food waste’ is another reason why the UK must ban rearing of farm animals in cages
It might sound like a space-saving idea, but more than half of the UK’s cropland is devoted to feeding farm animals kept in cages
Animals are sentient. Just ask anyone who knows about cows
Insects are fascinating, trees make us happy and sea eagles are just magical
From Glasgow’s Ruchill Park to Costa Rica, the beauty of nature can lift your spirits
Insects are fascinating, trees make us happy and sea eagles are just magical
How food poverty is being fuelled by our obsession with factory-farmed meat
Nearly 800 million people are going hungry even though there is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone
Why government must act to stop ticking timebomb that is bird flu
Highly pathogenic Bird flu continues to rage through poultry farms and wild birds alike.
Will England allow its iconic and rare chalk stream habitats to be trashed by pollution?
Like the Scottish uplands, England’s chalk streams have become an iconic destination for many countryside lovers
Insect Farming Isn’t Going to Save the Planet
Raising animals intensively for food is the biggest source of animal cruelty on the planet. It also happens to be a major emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for up to 37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Gardens can become sanctuaries for wildlife and help reverse the decline of nature
Pesticides and the ripping up of hedgerows and flower meadows has turned much of our countryside into a wildlife desert in recent decades
US approval of ‘lab-grown chicken’ could be game-changer for efforts to halt decline of nature
Meat grown from stem cells promises to emit fewer greenhouse gases than traditional agriculture
The deep joy of getting up early and watching the natural world unfold
Getting up early is full of rewards as the natural world activates and clear thoughts are unlocked
Live animal exports: UK Government just dropped its planned ban on practices that belong in the Dark Ages
The Conservatives had promised in their manifesto to stop the barbaric practice of sending young calves and other animals on horrific, over-long journeys abroad
‘Final warning’ on climate change can lead us to a beautiful, life-affirming and compassionate world
Food is responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions but rarely gets a mention
Rewilding: A ‘bleak’ landscape is one that’s full of promise and there are natural wonders to be found
Exploring an untamed landscape can be exciting for those who love nature
Treating farm animals well is good for us, them and the whole planet
The other day, a close friend told me a story from her childhood about an old, worn cigar box containing a hundred pieces of rolled paper, each one with a saying.
“Il grattacielo dei maiali in Cina? Liberiamo gli animali e mangiamone meno”
Nel suo ultimo libro Philip Lymbery, direttore di Compassion in world Farming, spiega come invertire il trend che ci sta portando alla carestia. E dice la sua sui grilli nel piatto e la carne coltivata in laboratorio
Trees help humans in so many different ways. Yet they still need defending
It’s been a year now since my neighbourhood journey into standing up for trees began. It started as so many things do for me these days, on a dog walk.
How cultivated meat made from stem cells in a lab could change the world
So, here’s a question for you: would you eat meat not from a cow, but grown in a vat?
After bird flu spreads to Scottish otters, how worried should we be about avian influenza?
Otters have become the latest victim of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking a new low in this ongoing catastrophe for wildlife.
How living on a farm helped teach me about the extraordinary value of soil
I love living on a farm. I’ve always wanted to be immersed in the folds of a rural setting, a place where things look different every day.
Live animal exports: Will UK Government keep its promise to end this nightmare trade this year?
We have a big year in prospect on so many fronts. Battling against inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the coronation of a new King.
Cost of living crisis: A new year’s resolution to be kinder to animals can help cut bills and save the planet
“May you live in interesting times” is an English expression believed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. At first the words seem like a blessing, but with a little thought, the irony soon becomes clear.
The food industry is threatening our very survival
All life on our planet is interconnected and our future depends on treating it with compassion and respect. By recognising this, we can protect the world’s wildlife and soils as if our life depends on it – because it does. As things stand, we only have sixty harvests left.
As billionaires fantasise about moving to Mars, it’s time to embrace nature-friendly farming to save Earth from ‘Age of Loneliness’
With the festive season soon upon us during a winter of financial crisis, the world outside our window can feel distant. Especially where the cost of taking action to save the planet is concerned
World Soil Day: Destruction of healthy soils in UK could happen within 30 years
By any measure, octopuses are remarkable: they have eight legs, three hearts and blue-green blood.
How to Love Food and Save Nature
Carlos Fiolhais chose a dozen of the most recent works released in Portugal
Octopus farming? This extraordinary and intelligent animal should stay in the ocean
By any measure, octopuses are remarkable: they have eight legs, three hearts and blue-green blood.
The King’s clear thinking on climate change will be missed at COP27
It seems a fitting descriptor for a period that has seen a global pandemic followed by a brutal new war in Europe, a cost-of-living crisis and political turmoil with three UK prime ministers in three months.
Pumpkins rotting in fields like zombies are a reminder of the terrifying cost of food waste
Children dart excitedly through a field strewn with bright orange pumpkins. Parents, gamely face-painted as ghouls, sip coffee as they await the return of their offspring.
The business of staying in business
I’m often asked what the role of business should be in creating a sustainable future? I see business as a critical change maker, whether it be on climate, nature, health, or animal welfare.
Avian flu ravaging Scotland’s wild birds began in poultry farms
Covered head to toe in hazmat suits, gloves and facemasks, sombre figures comb clifftops and tidelines searching for corpses.
Bisons’ reintroduction to UK will turbo-charge the restoration of nature
“You ready?” said an excited official before gently pulling back steel gates to reveal a somewhat bemused bison.
If we’re serious about the climate crisis, being cruel can no longer be an option
“Code red for humanity” is how the UN Secretary-General described the latest scientific warnings about climate change.
How humanity has turned Earth’s Garden of Eden into a world in decline in less than a lifetime
This has been a big week for me with the launch of my latest book, Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-friendly Future.
Palm oil: How elephants, orang-utans and other wild animals are dying because of factory farming
What we eat has always been evolving, but the pace of change could be set to get a whole lot quicker.
Tomorrow’s menu: Here’s what we could be eating by 2040
What we eat has always been evolving, but the pace of change could be set to get a whole lot quicker.
Pesticide coated seeds: How peregrine falcon is acting like canary in coal mine about effects of pesticides on human health
Environmentalists have been rocked by a UK Government decision to overturn scientific advice by lifting a ban on a bee-harming pesticide used on sugar beet.
‘Warning of Easter Island’ is one that humanity must not ignore amid our population explosion
September in the South Pacific started with a life-or-death competition.
We can rethink our landscapes and allow farmed animals to experience the joy of living
Getting up close and personal with a hot and richly fermenting cowpat in Idaho, USA may not be everyone’s idea of a good time.
Bees, the ambassadors of the natural world, have an important message for humanity
Shadows from a nuclear power station cast jagged shapes across one of Europe’s most impressive spans of shingle.
‘Apocalyptic’ global food crisis is being exacerbated by factory farming of grain-fed animals
These are deeply chilling times with the war in Ukraine and the enormous impact it is having on all affected.
Farming intensification has hit barn owls hard, but it doesn’t have to be this way
High above a hilltop woodland, shapes were dancing in the darkening sky, like giant butterflies. There were about 40 of them, a silent flurry of swirling wings and tails.
Worried about the rainforest? Woodlands much closer to home are being trashed
“You did what? And when we can’t even afford meat?!” exclaimed my mother when my dad told her he had been given too much change – 50p – after a shopping trip.
Why isn’t decent food a basic right for everyone?
“You did what? And when we can’t even afford meat?!” exclaimed my mother when my dad told her he had been given too much change – 50p – after a shopping trip.
Pet food: We love our animal companions, but what are we feeding them?
Whichever way we look at it, we love our pets, and rightly so. They provide us with companionship, affection, a reason to go for that walk.
England’s babbling chalk streams are witnessing a staggering decline in water voles
Some of the best things in nature are understated. Take the chalk-streams of England, for example. These fragile river systems meander quietly through undulating countryside before disappearing into the sea.
Horrific polar bear attack on hiker in Canada should be cause for concern much closer to home
Matt Dyer, a 49-year-old legal attorney from Maine, had been asleep in his tent when the polar bear attacked. He opened his eyes to see the bear’s forelegs looming over him, silhouetted against the light of the bright moon.
What my dog taught me about life can help Britain regain its status as a nation of true animal lovers
Sometimes I think my dog knows me better than I know myself.
Wolves and rewilding: Reactions to the reintroduction of this ‘apex predator’ speak volumes
A crowd of 100 people or more had gathered in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone National Park, USA.
Puffins face extinction in Scotland with overfishing of their main source of food
Muckle Flugga lighthouse, Shetland, and waves crashed dramatically against the rocks on this, Britain’s most northerly point.
Veganuary can be just as hedonistic for foodies as the festive season
Veganuary started in 2014 to encourage people positively, inclusively and in a non-hairshirt way, to try a more planet-friendly lifestyle after the excesses of the Christmas holiday season.
Remember this New Year, protecting animals will protect us all
Accommodation on that cold, drizzly night was an old lighthouse with no WIFI or TV. Furnishings inside fitted the remote historic look, resembling something out of a 1900s period play.
Rewilding Scotland’s wildernesses should be accompanied by ‘renaturing’ its farms
Some things stay with you forever – like my first ever sighting of a golden eagle. I remember it like yesterday.
The super-heroes of soil: Why the world under our feet matters and why it is under threat
How many of us stop to think of the subterranean marvel below us, when we sit on the grass, go for a run or walk in a park? It’s hidden from view and often ignored, yet is fundamental to our survival.
We need to talk about food and farming if we are to avoid a planetary tailspin
As we head into winter, I’m reminded of the strange happenings on the Arctic-archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, Russia, where a snow-covered rubbish dump was being ransacked by polar bears.
Antibiotic resistance: Misuse of these vital drugs on factory farm animals poses a serious threat to modern medicine
Of late, we’ve been getting used to shortages of things we’ve previously taken for granted, like petrol, gas, toilet rolls, HGV drivers and seasonal labour. Could it be that we’re about to add a new item to that list: antibiotics?
COP26 climate change summit: World is making serious mistakes in bid to stop dangerous global warming
As the great and the good packed their bags and left Glasgow last weekend, we were left picking through the plethora of promises and pledges made by our world leaders during the two weeks of climate talks.
COP26 climate change summit: We can make our own hope by taking action over our diet
The “last best chance to keep 1.5 alive” was how the COP26 climate summit was being seen, creating a huge focus for our collective hopes for the future.
Why even Boris Johnson can see that plant-based alternatives to meat have a big part to play in cutting emissions
For the next two weeks, Glasgow will become the centre of the world, or at least the epicentre of the battle for the planet.
Why not reimagine the festive season with family, humanity and animals in mind?
Glancing at some of the media bulletins at the moment, you could be forgiven for thinking there's every possibility that Christmas could be cancelled this year!
Shocking rate of species extinction threatens the health of the natural world
I live in a small farm hamlet with my wife Helen and our dog, Duke. This place I call home is my lens for watching the countryside. Every day, I walk with Duke through the fields and woods and each day I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to witness
Octopus farming is immoral
There are few creatures on Earth as striking as octopuses. They are remarkable marine cephalopod molluscs, in the same biological class as squid and cuttlefish and easily identified by their eight arms. They inhabit all marine habitats, ranging from tropical reefs to polar latitudes, where they are ecologically important species,
Why Charles Darwin and St Francis of Assisi would have been fans of organic farming
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man,” said Charles Darwin. Today is World Animal Day, a time to celebrate animals across the world, be they farmed, wild or companion animals.
UNFSS sees world leaders embrace the idea that ‘war against nature’ must end
Months on and my local superstore still goes for weeks without having frozen veg available. And now shortages of seasonal labour, drivers and gas have raised political questions and sparked media headlines about the possibility of ‘Christmas being cancelled’.
UN Food Systems Summit: Why radical change to agriculture is necessary
To my mind, the UN Secretary-General has done something extraordinary. In convening the Food Systems Summit, he has hoicked the issue of food to a place resembling where it should be – a major global issue that needs to be addressed urgently.
We must make our peace with nature for a sustainable, happier future
Just last week, we learnt about monstrous rains in China and Mumbai with hundreds dead. The week before we witnessed the worst floods for decades in Germany and Belgium with heavy loss of life.
Factory farming must end if the world is to tackle climate change and meet United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
For millennia, farming has worked in harmony with nature. However, one human lifetime ago, things changed dramatically: farming became dominated by industrial agriculture.
If Nature Could Speak
"If Mother Nature could speak, I believe she would weep." Our own future and the health of all life on Earth depends on us making peace with nature.
Fish are complex, emotional and intelligent beings and yet we treat them so cruelly.
When I look back over three decades of progress on the way we treat animals, it has been heartening to see how attitudes and understanding have evolved to insist on better treatment.
Could humanity’s hoofprint overwhelm nature?
Global action is needed to alleviate poverty, address overconsumption of livestock products and move food systems to regenerative forms of conservation agriculture
To protect humans from coronavirus, then we need to act quick on animal rights too
Whilst the emergence of Covid-19 has been linked to eating wildlife, it shows strong parallels with other viruses which have emerged from a different route – industrial farming
Governments should unite to curb meat consumption
Marco Springmann and colleagues warn that we must shift to more plant-based ‘flexitarian’ diets if we are to reduce the food system’s projected greenhouse-gas emissions and meet the targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement
For the first time in human history we might not need animals for food
Does meat have to come from an animal? Perhaps not. The Telegraph
If we keep eating so much meat we’ll destroy our planet
Man has an almost insatiable appetite to destroy the planet in his quest for cheap meat. As well as pushing wildlife to extinction through the destruction of habitats, rising meat production is accelerating climate change. - The Times