Organising Meeting Against World Dairy Summit

Kia ora koutou katoa,

We,  Animal Freedom Aotearoa, invite you to a meeting to co-ordinate and plan actions around the World Dairy Summit happening in November 8-11th 2010 in Auckland City. We feel that this is an important opportunity to highlight the many issues relating to the dairy industry such as animal exploitation, ecological destruction and climate change as well as broader social and economic issues of globalisation and neo-imperialism.

We are interested in building a coalition against the World Dairy Summit with co-ordinated actions drawing attention to the various issues and feel that this is a good opportunity for social justice, environmental and animal rights movements to come together. We want to build alliances to increase effectiveness to bring about justice for the earth, non-human animals and humans as all these forms of oppression are interconnected. If we work together, we can build a stronger movement that has real power to challenge the current system.

For more about the links between ecological destruction, colonisation and animal exploitation and the dairy industry see here.

What is the World Dairy Summit?
It is a three day conference with international speakers and attendees organised by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) with Fonterra as one of the main sponsors.

You can find out more information from their website.
 
Why oppose this summit?

Internationally, dairy products from Aotearoa/NZ are promoted as eco-friendly and cruelty free with images of the idyllic pastures with dairy cows, but as we know that is far from the truth. The dairy production involves artificial insemination, mass slaughter of 2-day old bobby calves, dairy cows suffering diseases such as mastitis. For more information on the effect of dairy farming on animals see: animalfreedom.org.nz (select "dairy" under "issues) or NZ Dairy Cruelty
The ecological destruction caused by dairy farming involves effluent pollution in waterways, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. About 50% of NZ's contribution to climate change comes from dairy and meat agriculture. If we are serious about stopping climate change, the dairy industry appears to be a prime target for reducing emissions.

For more information specifically on Fonterra's climate crimes. 

The social justice issues connected to the dairy industry includes the role of Fonterra in neoliberal globalisationm, a major issue that has huge affects on populations abroad that maintains systems of inequality and mass poverty, and allows multinational corporations
like Fonterra to profit while local people, animals and ecology suffer. It is also important to remember their involvement in the melamine scandal in China, where 4 babies were poisoned to death by the infant formula and thousands of others were left sick. Fonterra owned 43% of Sanlu, the dairy company responsible for the poisoning. Dairy consumption has also been linked to human diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease etc while the dairy industry spreads misinformation on the health
"benefits" of dairy.

The meeting will be to discuss how we will work together, mobilisation, what actions we want to do, what our aims are and anything else you or your group would like to put on the agenda.

When: Sunday 2nd of May, 9:30am - afternoon
Where: Auckland Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
What: Organising meeting against World Dairy Summit
Vegan lunch will be provided!

Please forward to your networks.

Love and solidarity,
AFA