Alarm bells should be ringing for meat eaters, BBC presenter Chris Packham has warned as he issues a grim prediction for the future if people don't stop eating chicken.
The Springwatch host and Veganuary Ambassador, 62, has explained the bleak reality of chicken farming - and its link to the destruction of UK rivers and Brazillian rainforests, warning one major British river is "on the brink of being declared ecologically dead".
In a video shared exclusively with the Mirror for Veganuary's Choose Chicken-Free campaign - which aims to raise awareness of the environmental damage and animal suffering caused by chicken farming - he leads the call to stop eating chicken. "In Brazil, they're cutting down prime rainforest and burning it," he says. "All that carbon is going into the atmosphere, contributing to climate breakdown. And of course, all the creatures living there died, contributing to biodiversity loss. They're cutting it down to grow soy, vast quantities of soy that’s put on a boat and transported to the UK where it’s used as feed on chicken farms – many by the side of the River Wye.
"The bad news doesn’t stop there. All the excrement produced by those chickens is spread onto the fields, and when it rains, all the nutrients flow into the River Wye, which is on the brink of being declared ecologically dead. If you want to help stop climate breakdown, reduce biodiversity loss across the world and protect UK waterways, there’s one simple thing you can do. Stop eating chicken and go for the plant-based alternative."
Chris isn't the only celebrity to be taking part in the campaign. Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden - also a Veganuary Ambassador - has pet hens she has rescued from the egg industry and hails them as the "most misunderstood bird in the world" and explained why she stopped eating chicken many years ago.
"Since adopting these beautiful girls from the British Hen Welfare Trust, I’ve been amazed to see their individual personalities shine," she explained. "They’re always busy exploring, looking for insects and other food, and they love to dust bathe – something they never get to do on most British farms where they confined inside industrial sheds their whole life.
"But we all have the power to set these enchanting birds free – by Choosing Chicken-Free products and recipes. I stopped eating chickens many years ago and I’ve not regretted it for one minute! Veganuary has all the resources, recipes and support to help you do it too.”
Emmerdale star James Moore is also passionate about chicken-free living alongside fiancé Sophie, hailing the birds' treatment as "some of the worst in the food industry".
"Thousands of chickens are kept in barns, with barely any personal space, or freedom to move around," he said. "When there are so many good options out there for plant-based chicken substitutes, why would you want to bother eating chicken anymore? Chicken is also one of the easier meats to mimic, and because of that there are plenty of great vegetarian chicken alternatives available. One of my favourites is What the Cluck, which makes a very realistic and versatile chicken substitute which is great when cooking meals. Another great alternative is VFC, which makes vegan chicken in the style of a particular fast-food restaurant, and these are great for making your own vegan fakeaway!”
While Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch visited a chicken farm in 2021 and was left horrified by the experience. “We opened the door to look out at 25,000 chickens crammed together under one roof. It’s overwhelming," she said. "It’s chaos. So many bodies squashed together in the one space, no chance of a momentary reprieve from the utter havoc of thousands and thousands of scared, squawking chickens trampling all over one another.
"It’s impossible to fathom that each of these white feathered bodies are individuals, but look closer, and you will see that they are. It’s unfair that those animals suffer and die in the dark, it’s unfair that we continue to subject them to lives of ceaseless misery when we have so many delicious, healthy alternatives. Every day we allow factory farming to continue, we betray those chickens, the planet and ourselves, when we already know so much better and are blessed with the means to create and choose ethical, sustainable, healthy alternatives.”
Veganuary now aims to instill long-term dietary campaigns throughout the year after its successful introduction of over 2,000 new vegan products and dishes during this year's Veganuary in January. Veganuary’s Choose Chicken-Free Week hopes to show that there are alternatives to eating chicken and eggs as well as highlightingthe ecological and ethical issues with chicken farming.
Coinciding with International Respect for Chickens Day, the campaign, scheduled from 29 April 29 to 5 May, will feature an array of informative resources and vegan recipes, with a focus on egg and chicken substitutes available on the Veganuary website. From 29th April, a free cookbook with delicious ‘chicken-free’ recipes will be available to download. A special menu offer will also be available in London at LD's Kitchen, based at The Black Heart in Camden, which aims to bring back one of its most popular dishes exclusively for this campaign.
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