As over 80% of the global population (1) say they follow a particular religion, faiths can play a vital role in helping to secure better animal, human, and planetary health. But are the faiths taking food systems transformation seriously? Are leaders involving their communities in taking action? Have they embraced the urgent need for change?

These are just some of the many questions which will be explored at an international webinar presented by Compassion in World Farming, Conscious Food Systems Alliance (UNDP), Faith for Earth (UNEP) and FaithInvest. Faith leaders, academics, and policy makers are being encouraged to attend this free event which will consider the role faiths are playing in food systems transformation and will ask the question: Can they do more?

The webinar, ‘Faith action for better human, animal and planetary health’ will include presentations from a number of inspiring speakers including: scholar and activist Dr Vandana Shiva; Dr Marium Husain, author of Islam and Food Systems; founding president of FaithInvest, Dr Martin Palmer; Azmaira Aibhai, Faith & Ecosystems Coordinator, Faith for Earth, UNEP and leading theologian, Dr David Clough.

The United Nations has identified food system transformation as an urgent priority. Food systems contribute nearly one third of greenhouse gas emissions (2) and up to 80 per cent of biodiversity loss (3). Yet, more than 3.1 billion people in the world cannot afford a healthy diet (4) and 900 million people faced food insecurity at severe levels in 2021. (5)

Taking place on 18 January, the event is the first in a series of webinars to be held in 2024 to explore in greater depth the issues discussed at the successful Extinction or Regeneration conference held in London in May 2023. The series will analyse themes and actions relating to the urgent need to transform our global food systems for the sake of animals, people, and our planet.

The webinar will:

Share the positions of faiths on food systems
Share examples of practical faith projects in support of food system transformation towards regenerative, agroecological food and farming
Share examples of faith projects that encourage a shift to more plant-based, sustainable diets
Provide knowledge and inspiration for faith leaders and believers to make their voices heard at local, national and international policy levels
Build momentum for the priorities outlined in the UN Secretary General’s recent report: Making food systems work for people and planet.

Speakers will be introduced by Philip Lymbery, Global CEO at Compassion in World Farming, who said: “It’s widely acknowledged that our global food system is broken. Around half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture (6), yet hundreds of millions of people go hungry and our planet is being destroyed.

“Faith leaders have a vital opportunity to influence policy makers and believers to work together to transform our food system for the benefit of people, animals and our planet, and this webinar will examine ways to do this.”

Also speaking at the event – which will be chaired by Susie Weldon, Director of Communications, FaithInvest – will be:

Dr David Clough, Chair of Theology and Applied Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Co-founder, CreatureKind
Dr Thomas Legrand, Lead Technical Advisor, Conscious Food Systems Alliance (UNDP)
Joyce D'Silva, Ambassador Emeritus, Compassion in World Farming

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For further information, speaker interview requests, biographies or photographs please email media.team@ciwf.org or call +44 (0)1483 521 615.

Notes to editors

The ‘Faith action for better human, animal and planetary health’ webinar is organised by Compassion in World Farming, Conscious Food Systems Alliance (UNDP), Faith for Earth (UNEP) and FaithInvest

1. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/

2. https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1379373/icode/

3. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/our-global-food-system-primary-driver-biodiversity-loss

4. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2022-un-report--global-hunger-numbers-rose-to-as-many-as-828-million-in-2021#:~:text=Almost%203.1%20billion%20people%20could,in%20place%20to%20contain%20it.

5. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2022-un-report--global-hunger-numbers-rose-to-as-many-as-828-million-in-2021

6. https://ourworldindata.org/global-land-for-agriculture

Webinar to explore role of faiths in securing our global food system