Mega farms polluting more than all world's cars and planes 'must be phased out'

Mega farms, of which there are 1,176 in the UK, account for one-third of direct greenhouse gas emissions - more than all the world’s planes, trains and cars put together

Mega farms in Britain must be phased out if the government is serious about meeting its new greenhouse gas emissions target, experts have warned.

While much focus has been put on ending our reliance on fossil fuels to hit the 81% reduction target by 2035 announced by the PM earlier this week, it won't be possible unless drastic action is taken to end our reliance on factory farming. Currently the industry accounts for an alarming one-third of direct greenhouse gas emission - more than all the world’s planes, trains and cars put together.

The Mirror earlier this year revealed there are 1,176 mega farms in the UK. Critics called the 20% rise up from 2016 a cruel trend. Compassion in World Farming said 85% of UK farm animals, over a billion, stay in overcrowded barns.

This creates a vicious circle of increased use of pesticides and fertilisers on animal feed crops which then supply industrial animal agriculture - itself a major user of fossil fuel energy.

World Animal Protection’s CEO Tricia Croasdell, who is at the UN climate summit taking place in Azerbaijan, told the Mirror: “What should be already clear for the Prime Minister is you cannot achieve this unless you address industrial animal agriculture – and not just in the UK.

“It must seek to phase out factory farming and shift toward an equitable, humane and sustainable food system that places animals, people and their communities at its heart.”

A new report from World Animal Protection issued at COP29 says even if fossil fuel emissions were immediately halted in every other industrial sector, current trends in global agriculture would prevent the achievement of the 1.5C target and by the end of the century would threaten the 2C target.

It also warns factory farming does not only drive greenhouse gases through fossil fuel use, it also drives widespread destruction of forests, grassland and other habits to grow crops to feed industrially farmed animals. In turn these vital carbon sinks immediately release tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The report also highlights how manure and emissions from animals also generates significant amounts of methane - another greenhouse gas that causes rapid heating of the planet. Tricia Croasdell added: “The simple truth is we cannot tackle climate change or protect human rights without addressing industrial factory farming — a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The consequences of ongoing inaction are dire. Without substantial reductions in food system emissions, it will be impossible to prevent global heating from spiralling further out of control."

The warning comes as the plans to build Britain's biggest mega farm in Norfolk which will have up to 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs attracted nearly 15,000 complaints.

Cranswick, the food giant behind the plans, says the two sites will be set 400 yards apart and operate separately to act as a 'bio-precaution'. Locals fear the giant facility will ruin the area. Objections to the megafarm include one that said: 'This cannot be allowed. It will destroy our countryside with pollution in the rivers, earth and air.

'Stench will be appalling. Disease will be rife… Welfare of animals is not good either.”

Campaigning groups Feedback and Sustain claim the two applications for the separate megafarm sites are 'unlawful' because they fail to provide details of expected greenhouse gas emissions, preventing a proper assessment on 'climate change grounds'.

The organisations – which have threatened legal action if the applications are approved despite their 'significant deficiencies' - claim the megafarm and associated suppliers would generate the equivalent of 120,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, or nearly a third of the amount already produced by all road traffic in the borough annually.

Anthony Field, Head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said: “The livestock sector globally produces more direct greenhouse gas emissions than the direct emissions of all the world’s planes, trains and cars put together.

“Manure and agricultural synthetic fertilisers are the two main human-created sources of nitrous oxide, the third most important greenhouse gas, which is often overlooked. Undeniably, there is growing awareness of the need to reform our food systems in order to have a chance of meeting emissions reductions targets however, in the UK, 85% of farmed livestock are housed in industrial 'factory farms'. It is vital that we halt the expansion of industrial livestock production and shift towards nature-friendly farming practices for the sake of animals, people and the planet.

"We shouldn't underestimate the importance of a whole-of-society approach to achieve this. People in high income countries, like the UK, need to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy and opt for animal sourced foods that come from higher welfare and nature-friendly farming systems.”