A virtual pig has appeared on the department of food and rural affairs, Tesco and Barclays buildings in a campaign against meat production and deforestation.
The virtual pig – called SOW AR – can be seen via an app by artists and campaigners including Greenpeace.
The campaign comes as Barclays financed the world’s biggest meat company JBS £4.8 billion between 2015 and 2022.
Tesco is continuing to use JBS as a supplier and the campaigners argue that the government has failed to prevent deforestation-linked products from entering the UK.
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What’s more, a recent WWF report found that global deforestation pledges from Cop26 are “severely failing”.
Greenpeace UK forests campaigner Daniela Montalo said stopping global warming starts with “transformative changes to our food system”.
“Industrial meat companies, UK banks financing them, and supermarkets whose supply chains are driving the destruction of critical ecosystems, must be government-regulated, forcing them to align with international goals for climate and nature protection,” Montalo added.
“The government must also support UK farmers to transition to climate-, people- and nature-friendly farming.
“Meanwhile, imports of soya and other animal feed crops that drive deforestation must be banned and the 10 million tonnes of annual UK food waste must be reduced, with what’s left used as animal feed.”
