Op Ed: Tobias Leenaert – Can We Stop Paying the Polluters? A Report on the Defund Meat Conference

Tobias Leenaert attended the Defund Meat Conference in Heidelberg, Germany, where leading academics presented research and strategies for reducing meat consumption through legal, economic, and political interventions. The conference addressed the urgent need to stop funding the meat industry, focusing on international law, manufacturing of doubt by the meat industry, animal welfare taxes, strategic litigation options, and the application of labor law to animal welfare.

The conference featured speakers from top universities discussing various approaches to addressing the meat industry's impact on climate change, animal welfare, and human health. With a focus on innovative legal, economic, and political interventions, the conference aimed to provide practical solutions for reducing meat consumption and building a more sustainable and compassionate food system.