Policy Overview
About FAIRR’s Policy Work
Through our policy workstream, we engage with governments, regulators, industry bodies and investors to promote a greater understanding of risks in intensive animal agriculture, and draw attention to sustainable policies and practices.
Direct Engagement and Policy Consultations: FAIRR directly engages with governments, regulators, and industry bodies to promote a greater understanding of ESG risks in intensive animal agriculture and to advocate for sustainable policies and practices. This can involve participating in policy dialogues, working groups, through policy consultations and other channels where there is interest from investor members. These recommendations aim to address critical gaps in policy frameworks and encourage more ambitious action on climate change, deforestation, and other environmental issues.
Investor Statements: FAIRR advocates for specific policy changes through various channels, such as investor statements and public communications. FAIRR actively participates in multi-stakeholder forums and coalitions to share knowledge and drive action on public policy.
Policy Working Group: FAIRR meets quarterly with investors through the FAIRR Policy Working Group, providing policy and regulatory updates to investors, where relevant, and gathering inputs from investor members to guide our policy workstream and analysis.
Latest Policy Insights
Latest Issue Briefings
Food Systems and Livestock Production Under Climate Change: The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment
Policy Investor Statements
Investor Action on AMR
Investors representing US$13 trillion in assets highlighted concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a systemic risk to investment portfolios, economic stability and to broader society. The investor statement outlines seven key asks which global policy makers were urged to consider ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR, in September 2024.
G20 Agricultural Subsidies
Signatories of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreed in December 2022 to tackle harmful subsidies (Target 18), to help reach net-zero and protect and restore nature by 2050. An investor statement – signed by investors representing US$7 trillion in assets – called on the governments to repurpose their agricultural subsidies in line with climate and nature goals, and in line with GBF commitments. FAIRR continues to engage on this topic, particularly in the UK and EU.
Global 2050 Food and Agriculture Roadmap
Investors with US$18 trillion in assets urged the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) to produce a Global Roadmap for the agri-food sector to align with 1.5C and Nature and Nutrition Security Goals by 2050. The FAO has embarked on a three-year process, aiming to finalising this Roadmap for the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector by COP30 (Nov 2025). A first version was released by FAO in Dec 2023. FAIRR continues to engage with the FAO and other stakeholders on this.
COP26 on Nationally Determined Contributions
Investor with US$12 trillion in assets highlighted the need to reduce global GHG emissions from animal agriculture, and urged G20 nations to disclose agricultural emissions as part of their NDCs. FAIRR continues to engage with G20 nations and other actors, to drive action. While many countries are lack comprehensive strategies and targets for the agricultural sector within their NDCs, some countries have encouraging language related to food systems transition in their NDCs.
EU Taxonomy
In this investor statement - signed by investors and financial advisers representing over US$3.5 trillion in assets - was sent to the EU Commission to raise concerns over elements of the EU Taxonomy. They urge using science-based criteria to avoid classifying harmful practices as sustainable. They highlight risks of industrial livestock production and advocate for organic farming and animal welfare considerations. The final Taxonomy should not lock the EU into carbon-intensive pathways.
G7 Finance AMR
Investors welcomed the commitment from G7 Finance Ministers to address the threat of AMR in several ways and through a multi-year and multi-stakeholder approach. The investor statement outlines several key asks, including market incentives, policies to address agricultural production, and manufacturing, which also includes addressing impacts on the environment.
EU Common Agricultural Policy Reform
Investors representing €2 trillion in assets urged that the European Commission’s proposed reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be more ambitious and align with the EU’s net-zero commitment. The investor statement outlines four key asks, including a proposal to reduce direct support for high-emitting commodities such as beef and dairy, and supporting affected farmers to transition.
Amazon Soy Moratorium
A coalition of investors and corporates, representing US$3 trillion in assets, urged the Brazilian Government to uphold the 2006 ‘Amazon Soy Moratorium’; to ensure soy production in the Amazon region only occurs on agricultural land, not through deforestation. Since its implementation, soy-related deforestation has decreased while Amazonian soy production increased by 400%. In 2021, 100 countries and investors representing US$8 trillion in AUM committed to ending deforestation globally.
Cerrado Manifesto
Investors with US$7.8 trillion in assets have urged for immediate action to prevent further deforestation in the Cerrado Biome, to mitigate future risks associated with climate change and agricultural resilience in this important agricultural region in Brazil. Signatories also support the rapid implementation of measures to ensure products sold in the EU are deforestation-free. FAIRR continues to work on this topic, launching another investor statement on the Amazon Soy Moratorium in 2019.
Antibiotics
Investor representing US$3 trillion in assets raised concerns that antibiotic resistance has risen to dangerously high levels, with AMR causing 700,000 deaths annually. The letter indicates investor support for antibiotics stewardship policies, phasing out routine antibiotic use in livestock, and helping companies to use antibiotics in a safer way. FAIRR continues to work on this, and launched a new AMR investor letter in 2021 and 2024.
