Conscience Consulting

The draft Council Conclusions on the Green Deal future ( to be adopted Monday 17th ) send a strong signal to the new Commission to double down on action to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises Are few excerpts here ..

On World Oceans Day we are grateful to be part of a worldwide effort to inform the public of the devastating effect of farming salmon, sea bream, sea bass, and other carnivorous fish. It is an unsustainable business model that consumes more wild fish than is produced, yet the industry continues to promote the myth that the so-called blue revolution is "feeding the world." Polluting our waters and coastlines, fish farms decimate communities both where the fish are farmed and where the wild fish are taken for fish meal. As we have learned more and more about the effects of fish farming on coastal communities and marine ecosystems, we have met extraordinary people and groups from around the world that are leading the opposition to this destructive industry, many of whom are listed below. If you love nature and care about the natural world our children will inherit, please watch this video produced by the amazing Mike Sampey and visit www.fishfarmsout.org to join a coalition of coastal communities, NGOs and scientists from 6 continents that have signed on to an open letter to the Food and Agriculture Org FAO of the United Nations to tell them #FISHFARMSOUT Read more https://lnkd.in/e-KYNUFP Get the facts www.fishfarmsout.org 🌊🌊🌊🐠🐟🙏🏽 Rauch Foundation Don't Cage Our Oceans The GSFR Katheti Feedback Slow Food Seas At Risk Changing Markets Foundation CFFA Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements Blue Marine Foundation Eurogroup for Animals Greenpeace Africa BLOOM Association Aquatic Life Institute Sciaena WildFish Patti Schaefer Eva Douzinas Ann Golob Catalina Cendoya Agustina Copello Andrianna Natsoulas Chiara Palandri Nusa Urbancic Natasha Hurley Amelia Cookson Cléo Welgryn Nicolas Blanc Tom Appleby Quentin Marchais Anne Seidler Tobias Troll #sustainablefoodsystems #sustainableaquaculture #marineprotection #teamwork🌍 Joanna Sullivan Hannah Kapff David Labi Nikos Kopsidas Fay Orfanidou Iro Lampiri

Working to put emerging issues on the EU and global policy agenda is a speciality of Conscience Consulting One year ago we were approached by the Rauch Foundation to help put industrial aquaculture on the map. Another food systems tragedy in the making, akin to underwater factory farms, with all the same problems, but worse. We chose Curious PR in London as media partner. #Collabs add new angles and drive more impact. The #SavePoros campaign was launched a month later, on World Oceans Day 2023, with the aim to stop a massive expansion of industrial fish farms around Greek islands, notably on the island of Poros by exposing the harm to marine systems and local communities. Research studies revealed lack of public awareness, catastrophic impact on jobs, and flawed environmental impact assessments. The Rauch Foundation is impressive for its attention to hard evidence A year later and the campaign has learned so much. Two documentaries were commissioned that have been screened worldwide. Italian Francesco De Augustinis https://lnkd.in/d4YgvE6z and Tasmanian Mike Sampey https://porosstands.film/ created masterpieces to expose death and destruction under the surface, poor industry practices and the deliterious impacts on the Global South. Feedback published a report https://lnkd.in/ez6RQMkW and the Financial Times reported its own six month investigation https://lnkd.in/dJUQr4GR. 80+ global groups and scientists gathered to share experiences from far flung corners of the world at the #SeasofChange Summit on Industrial fish farming, one week after the intergovernmental conference #OurOcean2024. Questions were put to the Greek Parliament and the European Parliament https://lnkd.in/e7_2DE2v So next week is World Ocean Day and the unity and solidarity among the global groups and scientists that gathered on Poros, with more joining forces every day, will be revealed. *Industrial fish farming is not sustainable aquaculture*. A powerful action is in preparation that will enable YOU to get involved Conscience is a change agency – In a world in transition, we believe in the positive impact of ethical advocacy and climate diplomacy. We build bridges for inclusive sustainable societies. We convene coalitions and design campaigns that drive positive change. We’re working every day to help shape a world that is environmentally sound and socially just. https://lnkd.in/eM-T6cga Join us on this action ✊🏼 Follow us: https://lnkd.in/eJfvywxy Eva Douzinas Katheti Patti Schaefer GRACE Communications Foundation Leslie Hatfield Andrianna Natsoulas Alex Cornelissen Vera Coelho Anais Berthier Quentin Marchais Tom Appleby Blue Marine Foundation ClientEarth Changing Markets Foundation Catalina Cendoya Natasha Hurley Nusa Urbancic Celine Charveriat Agustina Copello CFFA Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements

💪🏽Supporting women leaders at the US Rauch Foundation and Greek non profit Katheti at the #SeasofChange Summit on Industrial Fish Farming, one month ago on the island of Poros. These impressive women challenged fish farm bosses at the #OurOcean2024 conference in Athens and hosted an award winning documentary film premiere during the conference. The very next day they convened a series of policy debates involving 100 global change makers, and hosted a press conference for 25 reporters to reveal the broken EIA system that’s behind the rapid expansion of fish farming in Greece. The team led by Fay Orfanidou, Eva Douzinas, Patti Schaefer, Catalina Cendoya, Agustina Copello and Ann Golob are shining examples of soft power, mobilising and motivating, while remaining positive and purposeful 🙏🏽 #softpower #strategy Gathering together leaders from four continents and a dozen countries around an emerging issue takes courage and vision. One year after the #SavePoros campaign started, local community leaders from Poros and other Greek islands, mixed with global fish farm resistance movements, food systems researchers, foundations, film makers, ocean protection lawyers, NGOs, and journalists on the stunning island of Poros to shed light on the unacceptable practices of industrial fish farming and lend support to the local community, which is battling huge expansion plans of fish farms on its island. Meeting all together on Poros was such a beautiful experience ✊🏼 Change can be an enriching process, involving the guidance and knowledge of local communities, the sharing of success stories, and the planting of seeds of a global movement behind a vision to reset the global food industry Industrial fish farms are triggering unprecedented damage to ecosystems and entire communities. We have seen that sustainable aquaculture can make a net positive contribution IF in closed loop, circular systems with carbon positive production of e.g. crustaceans and algae instead of carnivorous fish farms that need many kilos of fish meal over their own body weight to grow big enough, and systematically pollute surrounding waters, seabeds and species. Conscience Consulting is honoured to play a small role in getting this important issue on to the EU policy agenda #health #noharm #aquaculture #foodsystems #change #seasofchange #women

Important fact here: “Europe lags behind in reaping the benefits that biological control can bring to its economy. The approval and authorisation process of biocontrol in the EU takes up to 10 years in the EU, compared to up to 3 years in other major markets. Such a long authorisation process leads to a low return on investment, making Europe the least attractive region to submit biocontrol globally.” Consequence: Farmers in Europe are deprived the alternatives they need to move away from pesticides. Nature and biodiversity continue to suffer. Soils cannot start to regenerate. Farmers are locked into pesticides, despite wanting to escape. Next steps: A positive agenda of farming for food security, starts with unlocking biological control. A new EU law on biological farming will support food systems change, nature regeneration and climate security. And give all farmers a better future. #biologyisbetter #biocontrol

EU Parliament rejects SUR opportunity to provide farmers with #biocontrol alternatives to secure food production. Read our response:

Conscience Consulting excels in systems change work, especially when the status quo and vested interests throw all their strategies and money into preventing change. We’ve been consulting for 15 years, focussed on creating change campaigns for disruptive sectors. We base our advice on real-world experience of leading NGO campaigns for 10 years, private sector campaigns for 5 years and European Parliament work for 3 years. For IBMA - International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association we’ve provided strategic advice and tactical support, building political credence, bringing in trusted partners and opening doors to critical allies with 360°oversight and foresight. We’ve made progress in this David Vs Goliath mega battle of changing EU farming systems. More hard work ahead to get this over the line. #goodvibes #teamwork #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

Delighted to contribute to this important debate to reassure this critical sector that the EU is committed to nature based farming. The debate takes place just as the EU Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) is being discussed in Council and voted in Parliament. A critical moment for the biocontrol sector, which is innovating, investing and enabling a whole new generation of farmers to switch to nature based farming. They’ve achieved the switch in other regions of the world through demonstrable results in productivity, yields and soil regeneration in 100s of 1000s of hectares of farms and fields. Now it’s time for the EU to future proof their food and farming sector. The biocontrol industry already provides 25% of pest control in the EU. With the SUR, the potential for getting more nature based alternatives to farmers is very real. The potential benefits for Member States are € gains for crop quality, crop health and crop yields, and € savings for human health, biodiversity, ecosystems, soil health, water quality etc. A no-brainier ! Do you have any questions you want to ask the biocontrol gathering ? There will be 1000 scientists, entrepreneurs and farm advisors that work daily on farms, leading the agri-transition. Send your questions by DM or post here. Let’s make sure everyone is clear on the benefits of biocontrol. #FoodSystem #SUR #biocontrol #NatureBasedFarming #FarmToFork #EUgreendeal #Resilience #Pesticides #Farmers IBMA - International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association

Biological control is so clearly the answer to many problems in the food system. Essential to reduce the climate impact of agriculture. Essential for nature restoration. Essential to help farmers thrive. Biocontrol is indeed essential for the agricultural transition, enabling ecosystems revival and soil regeneration, as well as crop productivity and food security. And the EU SUR proposal is essential to get legal clarity, market certainty and rapid mainstreaming by farmers of biology. Excellent interview Jennifer Lewis 👌 Grateful to @bbc ‘s Julia Caesar for bringing biocontrol to the world 🙏🏽 and Curious PR for working your magic #SUR #food #farming #health #biocontrol IBMA - International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association #EUGreenDeal #EUFarmtoFork