A brand-new meat lobby—The International Meat Alliance Against Meat—is joining Climate Week in New York City this year. But this meat lobby is different—they lobby against meat instead of for it!
The Problem
Every year, lobbyists and representatives from the meat and dairy industries flock to climate events such as Climate Week in NYC. In fact, in the United States between 2019 and 2023, agribusiness companies and industry associations spent more on federal lobbying than the oil and gas industry or the defense sector. At last year’s UN climate summit in Dubai, meat and dairy lobbyists participated in record numbers—more than three times as many as in the previous year.
The problem is, they’re influencing the conversation in the wrong direction. The meat and dairy industries have advocated that policymakers address agricultural emissions through voluntary and incentive-based programs. This allows the industries to continue producing massive quantities of meat and dairy. Scientists and experts have made clear, however, that shifting to more plant-based eating is a critically needed climate solution.Â
A New Kind of Meat Lobby
Mercy For Animals created the International Meat Alliance Against Meat as a new kind of meat lobbying group! Unlike traditional groups, ours acknowledges the significant environmental impact of industrial meat and dairy production.
We are calling on policymakers, delegates, and industry representatives to bring this issue to the table! The need to dramatically reduce meat and dairy production is urgent—and one way to accomplish this is to implement policies that support shifts to more plant-based eating. We cannot fight climate change without diet change.
CLICK HERE for six ways you can take action during Climate Week!