Camden goes more veggie

News that Camden council wants to encourage its staff to help the environment by going vegetarian is interesting. I have raised the issue of less meat before with Stroud District but with little joy - it is interesting to see that Camden have actually taken steps - this will hopefully encourage others to follow - and I've used it as an excuse to send the info again.

Photo: Dragon fruit

The Camden Climate Change group recommended cutting meat and dairy products from canteen menus as it will reduce carbon emissions. The idea was developed by Camden's "eco champion" Alexis Rowell who said the idea of taking meat off the menu was based on United Nations data showing that the livestock industry is responsible for 18 per cent of the world's carbon emissions. He said: "At some point we have to get to grips with the Western diet, which contains so much meat and dairy and is part of the carbon problem and the obesity problem. We are not talking about turning everyone into vegetarians but about eating more vegetables and fewer pieces of meat, especially beef which is the most intensive. We are growing grain and manufacturing fertilisers using a lot of fossil fuel and water, which is a scarce resource, to feed cows to then feed humans. It would be better to grow vegetables and feed them straight to humans."

According to the Vegetarian Society, 70 per cent of the world's agricultural land is used for rearing farm animals, either as grazing land or to grow fodder. Far less land is used to grow crops to feed directly to humans. The animals themselves are said to emit more damaging gases than the world's entire transport system. Camden also wants to cut the amount of food flown in from abroad or driven across the country in lorries. It is looking at how to support local producers by using existing distribution networks to bring food from the South-East into a central hub. Meanwhile, residents will also be encouraged to turn open spaces - even roofs - into mini-allotments. Mr Rowell said: "In Camden, we have more green and potentially green spaces on housing estates than we have in parks. A third of Camden's roofs could be turned into green roofs without any structural changes. We also have a 10-year waiting list for allotments. This is a huge opportunity. We aren't pretending we can grow enough food to feed London but we can grow some and that's better than nothing. Such schemes will also improve residents' quality of life and the borough's biodiversity".