Using our values to tackle global challenges
Celebrating almost a decade of working with Compassion in World Farming has inspired us to explore the impact of our everyday choices and commit to tackling global challenges.
The Summer 2019 edition of Farm Animal Voice magazine is the 20th issue we’ve created with Compassion in World Farming.
At Neo, we’re passionate about telling the stories that matter, those that’ll inspire positive action for people and planet. Compassion in World Farming have been campaigning for more than 50 years to end all factory farming practices. Intensive factory farming causes animal suffering, poses a severe threat to the environment, and drives biodiversity decline and resource exhaustion.
We’ve been proud to work together to promote fairer farming worldwide. Designing a magazine that provides an insight into intensive farming systems, but most importantly encouraging action in achieving healthy, affordable food for all.
The magazine aims to inform and inspire supporters. We too have been inspired.
We have a culture of consciousness that goes beyond our work. We use sustainable print and paper solutions. Our studio is fitted with repurposed furnishings. We recycle and compost. And our kitchen is stocked with organic milk and milk alternatives, Fairtrade tea and coffee and seasonal British snacks.
But do we need to be thinking bigger?
Devastating outcomes
More than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills and incinerators every day. Nearly half of the world’s usable land surface is devoted to agriculture. An estimated 15% of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation. Human behaviour is having a catastrophic impact on biodiversity, poverty, extreme weather and farm animal welfare, across the world.
Awareness of our consumption patterns is slowly shifting into the mainstream. And we’re seeing the devastating outcomes pour through our media channels – in Attenborough’s hard-hitting documentaries, in the school climate strikes and in the BBC’s recent War on Plastic series.
“When spending money, we’re buying our values. Fairness and kindness, or abuse and exploitation.”
We’ve exhausted the earth’s yearly budget before even reaching August in 2019. We’re buying more stuff that’s been made cheaply. But cheap comes at a cost – to animals, people and the planet. When spending money, we’re buying our values. Fairness and kindness, or abuse and exploitation.
With that in mind, can we take a values-based approach to tackling these challenges?
Values are central to our work, and our organisation. Our core values are courage, curiosity and collectiveness. These values thread through all aspects of our work and culture.
As an organisation, as citizens, we want to be part of building a more just society. We know changing the world has to start with changing ourselves. So, we’ve personally committed to enacting our values to help us do exactly that. Will you join us?
Courage to make the right decisions, to make change
To remember our reusable water or coffee cups. To consciously curb our single use waste.
To walk or cycle, take the bus or share a car ride. To keep active and tackle pollution.
To change our eating habits. To eat less, but better. Local, grass-fed meat or products that are made with sustainably sourced palm oil.
Curiosity to ask questions, to seek out and support new initiatives, to learn
To challenge behaviour in our tech, food and fashion supply chains.
To seek out and support innovative enterprises, turning global challenges into solutions.
To read or watch news stories about world issues. To donate where possible and sign petitions.
Collectiveness within our team and our community
To open our doors to others, share our expertise and collaborate to achieve great things for purpose-driven organisations.
To cook meals together, share food we’ve grown and our favourite recipes.
To take time out of the studio and volunteer. Support local fundraisers or host our own charity events.
The UN warned in early July 2019 that climate disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, with a representative stating, “this is not about the future, this is about today”. Tackling the world’s biggest crises – from farm animal welfare to climate change – will demand all of us to make changes, today.
