Farmageddon author Philip Lymbery told natural products retailers and ethical businesses gathered at last week’s Natural & Organic Product Europe that they have an important role to play in helping to end the ‘cage age’.
Lymbery, who is also executive director of Compassion in World Farming, made the comment during a joint presentation with Michael Bronner from leading natural soap brand Dr Bronner’s. The pair used the talk to explored how progressive brands and non-profit organisations can work together to further social change.
Bronner explained how Dr Bronner’s had pioneered some of the most progressive practices in the natural products industry, while championing activist campaigns to promote organic standards, fair trade, consumers’ right to know and animal advocacy – its Wash Up for Farm Animals campaign being the latest example of this work.
Lymbery, who has seen first hand some of the biggest – and worst – factory farms in North America, told the London audience: “Giant American agribusinesses want to sell Britain and Europe the idea of ‘sustainable intensification’. Some people even see this as a vision for the future. It’s more like a vision of fell.”
“It is time we ended factory farming, the Cage Age, and moves and adopted free-range, organic and environmentally sustainable approaches that your businesses and customers support. Let’s woe together to make this happen.”
