The Animal Protection Party of Canada has submitted its report, A Fatal Omission, in response to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy public comment period.
The Government of Canada draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, 2022 to 2026, Achieving a Sustainable Future,1 [Strategy] requires a section and targets devoted to animal-based agriculture and animal-based diets if it is to be scientifically credible.
Today’s best available science is unequivocal. If we fail to successfully mitigate and offset the destructive environmental impacts of animal-based agriculture and diets, all other measures recommended in the Strategy, even if fully implemented, would be insufficient to achieve the goal of an ecologically sustainable economy and civilization.
The science is settled. Animal-based agriculture and diet’s destructive impacts on ecological sustainability cannot be overstated.
Should Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Minister choose to omit from the Strategy a section and targets on animal-based agriculture and diets, e.g. “refuse to believe what is true,” it would be fatal to the Strategy’s credibility. The omission would cause legitimate doubt and criticism about:
- the Strategy’s scientific veracity and thoroughness,
- the sincerity of the Minister’s and government’s pursuit of an ecologically sustainable economy, and
- the competency and good faith of the government departments involved in the Strategy.
The omission would raise necessary and important questions and fears about powerful, self-serving corporate and political actors unduly influencing the Minister and the Strategy’s authors’ final text, recommendations, and targets.
The Animal Protection Party is hopeful that highlighting examples of the current science about the destructive effects of animal-based agriculture and diet will persuade the Minister and Environment and Climate Change Canada of the importance of including a section about animal-based agriculture and diet in Achieving a Sustainable Future.
This paper, A Fatal Omission, uses the lens of animal-based agriculture and diet to focus on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) discussed in the Strategy and the goals, targets, and actions that relate to them. A Fatal Omission explains how the Strategy’s SDGs and targets can be better addressed by phasing out animal-based agriculture and diets, including fishing, and shifting to and subsidizing, predominantly, plant-based agriculture and diets.
Click the image below to read our report, A Fatal Omission, to the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, for the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy public comment period.
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