Shining a Light on Big Ag’s Climate Push

About the Series

The agricultural sector – a key driver of global warming – is coming under increasing pressure to cut emissions. This coming year will be an eventful one for climate, nature, and food politics, with major summits lined up to broker global deals to protect biodiversity and slow planetary heating.

DeSmog’s series will follow Big Ag’s efforts to influence outcomes at meetings in Colombia and Azerbaijan, and next year in Brazil, and call out those tactics used to sustain a destructive, dangerous and polluting status quo.

In This Series

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Campaigners say corporate-friendly science has “corrosive effects on public health debates”.

Campaigners say corporate-friendly science has “corrosive effects on public health debates”.
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Industry giants have been accused of ‘enriching shareholders’ while ‘farmers and consumers pay the price’.

Industry giants have been accused of ‘enriching shareholders’ while ‘farmers and consumers pay the price’.
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The programme is “yet another bung to industrial production”, experts say.

The programme is “yet another bung to industrial production”, experts say.
Analysis
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Corporate pledges to fight deforestation by turning degraded pasture into cropland seen boosting demand for harmful chemical inputs.

Corporate pledges to fight deforestation by turning degraded pasture into cropland seen boosting demand for harmful chemical inputs.
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Trade groups lobbied ministers to promote a source of energy linked to massive environmental harms at the U.N. climate conference.

Trade groups lobbied ministers to promote a source of energy linked to massive environmental harms at the U.N. climate conference.
Analysis

Agribusiness companies generate huge quantities of greenhouse gas pollution — and PR companies help them obscure it.

Agribusiness companies generate huge quantities of greenhouse gas pollution — and PR companies help them obscure it.
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Presence of high-polluting companies erodes trust in the UN process, say campaigners.

Presence of high-polluting companies erodes trust in the UN process, say campaigners.

Doctors and models extol the virtues of meat as climate impacts of industrial farming face scrutiny at COP30 — the global climate summit.

Doctors and models extol the virtues of meat as climate impacts of industrial farming face scrutiny at COP30 — the global climate summit.
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A summit billed as the last chance to revive global climate action faces unprecedented pressure from the food sector’s largest emitters.

A summit billed as the last chance to revive global climate action faces unprecedented pressure from the food sector’s largest emitters.

Organisers offered pesticide giants and agribusiness lobby group “visibility” and “image gain” in return for financial contributions to climate summit's Agrizone.

Organisers offered pesticide giants and agribusiness lobby group “visibility” and “image gain” in return for financial contributions to climate summit's Agrizone.
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Proposed changes to the GHG Protocol would lead to double counting of carbon reductions in the livestock sector, experts say.

Proposed changes to the GHG Protocol would lead to double counting of carbon reductions in the livestock sector, experts say.
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Empresas de alimentos e do agronegócio vão se apresentar como solução para a crise climática na cúpula no Brasil — embora os alimentos sejam responsáveis por um terço do aquecimento global.

Empresas de alimentos e do agronegócio vão se apresentar como solução para a crise climática na cúpula no Brasil — embora os alimentos sejam responsáveis por um terço do aquecimento global.
Analysis
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Food and farming companies will claim agriculture is the solution to the climate crisis at the Brazil summit — even though the sector drives a third of global warming.

Food and farming companies will claim agriculture is the solution to the climate crisis at the Brazil summit — even though the sector drives a third of global warming.
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Expert says non-profit partners provide a "fairy dust" of legitimacy to beef industry.

Expert says non-profit partners provide a "fairy dust" of legitimacy to beef industry.
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Danone, JBS, Mars, Nestlé and PepsiCo net zero plans marred by “patchy and unsubstantiated targets” say campaigners.

Danone, JBS, Mars, Nestlé and PepsiCo net zero plans marred by “patchy and unsubstantiated targets” say campaigners.
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A new document shows that vested interests were behind a “mud slinging” PR campaign to discredit the 2019 EAT-Lancet study.

A new document shows that vested interests were behind a “mud slinging” PR campaign to discredit the 2019 EAT-Lancet study.
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A pesar de que en las conferencias de la ONU, lo más importante es invertir el drástico declive mundial de la vida vegetal y animal, las empresas han encontrado cómo hacerse escuchar.

A pesar de que en las conferencias de la ONU, lo más importante es invertir el drástico declive mundial de la vida vegetal y animal, las empresas han encontrado cómo hacerse escuchar.

Se debe proteger a las futuras conferencias de la “intensa presión que está ejerciendo la industria”, dicen los miembros de las campañas.

Se debe proteger a las futuras conferencias de la “intensa presión que está ejerciendo la industria”, dicen los miembros de las campañas.
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Representantes do agronegócio usam sua influência para desviar a atenção dos formuladores de políticas das soluções reais para a transformação dos sistemas alimentar e agrícola, afirmam ativistas.

Representantes do agronegócio usam sua influência para desviar a atenção dos formuladores de políticas das soluções reais para a transformação dos sistemas alimentar e agrícola, afirmam ativistas.
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Critics say the controversial GWP* method – which New Zealand appears close to adopting – is “open to significant abuse”.

Critics say the controversial GWP* method – which New Zealand appears close to adopting – is “open to significant abuse”.
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Agriculture delegates use influence to “distract” policymakers from genuine solutions needed to transform food and farming, say campaigners.

Agriculture delegates use influence to “distract” policymakers from genuine solutions needed to transform food and farming, say campaigners.
Analysis
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Major Brazilian polluter champions agribusiness as a solution to hunger at G20.

Major Brazilian polluter champions agribusiness as a solution to hunger at G20.

Future nature talks must be protected from “intense industry pressure” say campaigners.

Future nature talks must be protected from “intense industry pressure” say campaigners.
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Corporations have found ways to be heard during negotiations on reversing the drastic global decline in plant and animal life.

Corporations have found ways to be heard during negotiations on reversing the drastic global decline in plant and animal life.
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Food and agriculture multinationals are embracing the vague term without changing their polluting ways, according to a new report.

Food and agriculture multinationals are embracing the vague term without changing their polluting ways, according to a new report.
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DeSmog re-launches investigative series to track agribusiness’ influence over climate and nature policy in a critical year for decisions on the future of food and farming.

DeSmog re-launches investigative series to track agribusiness’ influence over climate and nature policy in a critical year for decisions on the future of food and farming.
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Industry leaders praise UN food and climate plan as “music to our ears”.

Industry leaders praise UN food and climate plan as “music to our ears”.
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Meat and dairy groups have funded adverts that cast vegan products as unhealthy, unnatural and ultra processed.

Meat and dairy groups have funded adverts that cast vegan products as unhealthy, unnatural and ultra processed.

Producers say 'No Farmers, No Food' is a populist initiative that serves to “whip up indignation and anger”.

Producers say 'No Farmers, No Food' is a populist initiative that serves to “whip up indignation and anger”.
Analysis
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Big agriculture and far-right parties set farmers against the environment but producers on the ground in Brussels told a different story.

Big agriculture and far-right parties set farmers against the environment but producers on the ground in Brussels told a different story.
Opinion
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Big Ag lobbyists drowned out the voices of smallholder farmers.

Big Ag lobbyists drowned out the voices of smallholder farmers.

Major food and agriculture companies have sent 340 representatives to Dubai for the climate summit.

Major food and agriculture companies have sent 340 representatives to Dubai for the climate summit.

From ‘innovation sprints’ to spritzers, polluting agri-giants have so many ways to influence climate outcomes.

From ‘innovation sprints’ to spritzers, polluting agri-giants have so many ways to influence climate outcomes.
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Polluting livestock companies and lobby groups will target pavilions in a coordinated campaign at the UN climate summit, documents show.

Polluting livestock companies and lobby groups will target pavilions in a coordinated campaign at the UN climate summit, documents show.
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Research shows oil companies are investing heavily in petrochemicals for use in pesticides, fertilisers, and plastic packaging.

Research shows oil companies are investing heavily in petrochemicals for use in pesticides, fertilisers, and plastic packaging.
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We debunk some key concepts that the world’s largest food and farming companies will be using to sway debates at the climate summit.

We debunk some key concepts that the world’s largest food and farming companies will be using to sway debates at the climate summit.
Analysis
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An industry-led “efficiency” drive is about increasing sales of milk – not cutting pollution.

An industry-led “efficiency” drive is about increasing sales of milk – not cutting pollution.
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DeSmog to track the agriculture industry’s efforts to shape the agenda of the upcoming UAE COP28 summit.

DeSmog to track the agriculture industry’s efforts to shape the agenda of the upcoming UAE COP28 summit.

Campaigners warn of industrial farm lobby’s growing influence amid sharp rise in representatives attending UN climate talks in Egypt.

Campaigners warn of industrial farm lobby’s growing influence amid sharp rise in representatives attending UN climate talks in Egypt.
Analysis
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Campaigners see scant evidence that the Department of Agriculture is ready to break with its long history of promoting agribusiness at the expense of the environment.

Campaigners see scant evidence that the Department of Agriculture is ready to break with its long history of promoting agribusiness at the expense of the environment.
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Campaigners question “knowledge partner” role for U.S. meat lobby group NAMI ahead of climate summit.

Campaigners question “knowledge partner” role for U.S. meat lobby group NAMI ahead of climate summit.