Sustainable Livestock Bill to be put before Parliament

A new Sustainable Livestock Bill has been presented (on 23rd March 2010) to Parliament by Peter Ainsworth MP and backed by a group of cross-party MPs representing 40% of all MPs.The Bill was developed by Friends of the Earth.

The overall aim of the Bill is to "Require the Secretary of State to prepare and implement a strategy to improve the sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the consumption of livestock produce; and for connected purposes."

Sustainable food strategy

1. The Secretary of State must within 2 years prepare a strategy to improve the sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the consumption of livestock produce. 

2. The strategy must set out the Secretary of State’s proposals for improving the sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the consumption of livestock produce, including:

• (the use of subsidies and grants to encourage or discourage the use of particular practices, methods, feeds and crops;
• the use of taxes or levies to encourage or discourage the use of particular practices, methods, feeds and crops;
• policies affecting the public procurement of livestock produce;
• the use of public information campaigns to encourage or discourage particular consumer behaviours;
• the positions to be taken by the Government in the European Union and other international policy fora where policies affecting livestock farming and theconsumption of livestock produce are agreed;
• the setting of targets for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and biodiversity loss arising from livestock farming and the consumption of livestock produce;
• the ways in which research and development into livestock farming and the consumption of livestock produce are to be supported; any other policy the Secretary of State believes will assist in meeting the objective set out.

3. When preparing the strategy the Secretary of State must consult:

• farmers, food producers, the food processing industry and associated industries;
• food retailers and the food service sector;
• persons concerned with, affected by or with expertise on, the environmental impacts of livestock farming and the consumption of livestock produce;
• persons concerned with, affected by or with expertise on, the health impacts of livestock farming and the consumption of livestock produce;
• persons appearing to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of consumers;
• individuals or organisations advising government which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, have relevant expertise, including but not limited to theCommittee on Climate Change, the Council of Food Policy Advisors and the Sustainable Development Commission;
• other national authorities.

4. When preparing the strategy the Secretary of State must have particular regard to:

• the full life-cycle impact of any policy;
• the global impact of livestock farming and the consumption of livestock produce

  The bill is attached below.
  You can read FoE's press release here.