11 March 2022

* A plan to address the underlying causes of food poverty

* Emergency investment in sustainable food production to increase domestic supply

* Transform farming to help tackle the climate and ecological emergency

* Halve the UK’s 10 million tons of food waste

With the UN World Food Programme warning that the war in Ukraine threatens to disrupt a third of the world’s wheat market and double global wheat prices [1], the Green Party has called for an emergency food security summit, alongside action on the cost of living crisis, to tackle the underlying causes of food poverty. They also argue this is the opportunity to invest in sustainable methods of food production which work to capture carbon while improving soil quality and biodiversity. 

Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“Ukraine has been one of Europe’s bread baskets for centuries. The Russian invasion will inevitably lead to food shortages and spiralling food prices, further exacerbating the cost of living crisis. 

“That’s why the Green Party is calling for an emergency food summit alongside action to address the underlying causes of food poverty. 

“Such a summit must involve farmers and food producers in planning how we can immediately increase the UK food supply. This is the time to learn from the good work of many UK farmers who are demonstrating how agriculture can help tackle the climate and ecological emergency and supply healthy and sustainable food. In particular, we need to adopt farming methods that end our dependence on imported fossil fuel based fertilisers and focus on growing grains for human consumption not for farmed animal feed. 

“Farming currently contributes up to a third of UK greenhouse gas emissions and two thirds of wildlife loss. We need to seize this opportunity to turn this around and adopt farming methods which work to capture carbon while improving soil quality and biodiversity.

“We also need to end the scandal of 10 million tons of edible food waste per year in the UK [2]. An emergency summit must look at what action we need to take to halve this waste mountain – an aim that is in line with UN goals.  

“We must tackle food poverty and transform farming and food production into the secure, sustainable and healthy alternative we know it can become.” 

Notes

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60653856 

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/sep/04/how-food-waste-is-huge-contributor-to-climate-change 

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10 March 2022

• ‘Neither Conservatives nor Labour are stepping up to the level required in this humanitarian crisis.’

Migration and Refugee Support Spokesperson Benali Hamdache said,

‘Priti Patel is making our country look cruel and incompetent in the face of the humanitarian disaster unfolding across our continent. But Labour’s failure to back visa-free access is even more shocking and it is deeply depressing to see Labour politicians mimicking the tough stance of this awful government.

“The vast majority of the public want to allow Ukrainian refugees to come to Britain without having a visa as they flee for their lives. Yet politicians from both main parties are unrelenting in applying cruel bureaucracy that is rejecting refugees at our borders. The UK stands alone in Europe in turning away those in need. This is a national disgrace. 

“Neither Conservatives nor Labour are stepping up to the level required in this humanitarian crisis.

“The need to waive visas has never been more pressing, and that welcome must be extended to Black, Asian and Arab refugees fleeing conflict, not only those from Ukraine.”

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8 March 2022

Responding to the announcement from Boris Johnson that the UK is to phase out oil imports from Russia by the end of this year [1], co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

“The decision by the UK government to phase out oil imports and the European Commission to cut its dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year [2], goes right to the heart of this deadly invasion. Fossil fuel money is blood money as it is funding Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine.

“However, it is crucial that this announcement by Boris Johnson is not a prelude to an energy strategy that seeks to ramp up North Sea oil and gas production or reboot deeply unpopular fracking.

“We need to end our dependency on all oil and gas and urgently invest in domestic renewables and home insulation. This is the way to address the cost of living crisis affecting millions of households as well as tackle the climate emergency and deliver longer term energy security.”

Notes 

[1] https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-to-ban-russian-oil-imports/

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1511

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7 March 2022

The Green Party has warned the Prime Minister that there is no such thing as the “climate change pass” that he is arguing for, because climate change doesn’t wait for politics [1]. The party says that only by going further and faster on climate action will the UK government be able to reduce its reliance on Russian gas.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer has urged Boris Johnson not to be fooled by climate-sceptic Conservative MPs and right-wing commentators who are now using the travesty of war in Ukraine as an opportunistic attempt to further their pro-fossil fuel views.

Denyer said:

“There is no such thing as a ‘climate change pass’ – unfortunately climate change doesn’t wait for politics. Last week’s UN climate report [2] said ‘any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.’ It is clear that only by reducing our need for fossil fuels will we be able to both stop climate change and rid this world of the tyranny that goes hand in hand with this dirty source of energy.

“The Conservative MPs and right-wing agitators who are now calling for the UK’s net zero targets to be scrapped are helping to fuel Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.

“It is our reliance on fossil fuels that have stopped us from taking the necessary action so far which would have any impact on Putin. We must be doing everything we can now to reduce our reliance on Russia’s fossil fuels by massively ramping up our installation of renewable energy sources before next winter.

“To deliberately increase our reliance on fossil fuels at this time would not only seriously impact our efforts to tackle climate change, it would leave us even more exposed to the whims of dictators and tyrannous individuals seeking to exploit such frailties now and in the future.

“If the Prime Minister was serious about reducing our reliance on Russian gas he would start the massive investment we have repeatedly called for in renewables, energy efficiency and the skills required to deliver such projects in order for us to reach net zero as quickly as possible.” [3]

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnsons-call-to-relax-green-target-jbtvrfklx

2

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/resources/press/press-release/

3

The Green Party’s 2019 general election manifesto set out how to spend £100 billion a year for a decade to make Britain net zero as quickly as possible. The party has continued to call for this urgent action at every opportunity since

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6 March 2022

• Greens commit to uphold the values of peaceful protest and direct action
• Jenny Jones slams government as hypocrites for condemning Russian governments’ mass arrest of peaceful protestors, “while passing laws that allow them to do the same in this country.”

Green Party members have today voted to support a policy that would repeal the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill at their party conference. 

Green peers Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett have been staunch critics of the Bill and lobbied Labour hard in the Lords, persuading them to reject a series of amendments which would effectively criminalise protest [1]. The Bill is currently in ‘ping-pong’ stage between the Commons and Lords. 

Jenny Jones said:

“I am delighted that conference has backed this motion which commits us to repealing this dangerous piece of legislation should it become law. It infringes on the essential rights of free speech, free protest, free assembly, and free conscience.

“Greens have demonstrated that they are committed to upholding the values of peaceful protest and direct action, recognising that they form an essential part of a healthy democracy. This is a government of hypocrites who rightly condemn the Russian governments’ mass arrest of peaceful protestors, while passing laws that allow them to do the same in this country.”

Notes

1. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2022/01/14/lords-likely-to-vote-down-draconian-protest-clauses-in-policing-bill-after-green-campaign/

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