Interview #19 Linda Newbery | Feed our Future Oxfordshire

Off the Leash

A short interview with Charlie Moores talking with campaigner and award-winning author Linda Newbery, whose book “This Book is Cruelty-Free – Animals and Us” which looks at the way our daily choices affect the lives of animals was published in July last year (and Off the Leash has an exciting announcement around that later in this interview). First though, at the end of January this year we posted a shortcast by Summer, from the campaign group Feed our Future, which aims to address climate emergency and animal exploitation issues starting with the food on our school plates. Feed our Future is working with councils to encourage the switch from emission heavy foods to plant-based ones.
Linda heard that shortcast and mentioned to Charlie that she had been involved in a Feed our Future campaign in Oxfordshire, where she lives, and that Oxfordshire County Council had passed a motion in December that would see vegan-only food being served at council events, and school's being encouraged to serve a vegan menu 'at least twice a week'. The motion had been tabled by Green Party Councillor, Ian Middleton, in the hope that the council would 'recognise that meat and dairy' is a 'significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and global deforestation'.
That motion had – somewhat depressingly but predictably – caused quite a ruckus, yet, as Charlie said to Linda when they began chatting earlier today, it all sounded fair and sensible to him...

• Linda Newbery “This Book is Cruelty-Free – Animals and Us” (Pavilion, July 2021)
• Off the Leash Podcasts Shortcast #64 Linda Newbery | Ban Snares
• Off the Leash Podcasts Shortcast #72 Summer | Feed our Future
• Feed our Future Website feedourfuture.co.uk/
• Feed our Future Facebook page and Twitter feed