Paul Harris objected to Pennbury on the grounds that the land is better used for growing food ("We need this land for food", Mailbox, January 28).

I assume he means food for people. However, 70 per cent of all agricultural land in Britain is used to feed animals, not people. He also stated that "the world supply of food will dry up", and it will while people continue to eat so much meat and dairy.

In 2006 more than a third of the two billion tons of grain produced worldwide was fed to animals.

With the anticipated increase in world population from the current 6.5 billion to 9.5 billion and increased meat consumption in developing countries, the global demand for meat by 2070 will be between twice and three times its current level. While there have been many protests against eco-towns, I have yet to hear of protests against the use of land for animal grazing and growing food for them.

As well as livestock for meat and dairy being the second biggest cause of global warming, the farmed animal industry is a most destructive, wasteful, toxic, disease-promoting food production system imaginable.

I wholeheartedly agree with Paul Harris: we do need all the land there is for growing food, but the food has to be directly to feed people.

Elizabeth Allison, Aylestone.