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Crop-based animal feed ‘driving wildlife loss’
The biggest consumer of crop-based feed is poultry.
Report highlights impact of meat-based diets

A new report has found that the biggest environmental impact of a meat-based diet comes from growing crops to feed livestock.

The WWF's ‘Appetite for Destruction’ report found that crop-based feed is putting a huge strain on natural resources and driving wildlife loss. It concludes that if the demand for animal products continues to grow, soy production would need to increase by as much as 80 per cent by 2050.

“The simple fact is that the world is consuming more animal protein than it needs and this is having a devastating effect on wildlife,” explained Duncan Williamson, WWF food policy manager.

“A staggering 60 per cent of global biodiversity loss is down to the food we eat. We know a lot of people are aware that a meat-based diet has an impact on water and land, as well as causing greenhouse gas emissions, but few know the biggest issue of all comes from the crop-based feed the animals eat.”

The report reveals that the biggest consumer of crop-based feed is poultry, followed by the pig industry. In the United Kingdom, the most popular meat is chicken, with each person consuming on average 25kg a year in 2015.

It also found that almost twice as many people now eat fish compared to the 1960s. While an increasing amount of seafood is now farmed, intensive systems using crop-based feeds are becoming more commonplace.

Nutritional guidelines recommend 45-55g of protein per day. However, the average UK consumption is 64-88g, of which 37 per cent is meat and meat products.

“For people and nature to thrive we need to consume and produce food differently, “ Mr Williamson continued. “If we just stuck to the nutritionally recommended amount of protein, rather than over-consuming, an area 1.5 times the size of the European Union would be saved from agricultural production.

“Eating less animal protein would allow us to farm in a more sustainable way, with less impact on the environment and healthier and more nutritious food.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.