Traditional livestock systems, supplying local meat outlets, face extermination if changes are not made quickly to the current unfair system of charging for meat inspection. Small and medium-sized abattoirs and cutting plants are being forced out of business by crippling and grossly unfair charges imposed nowhere else within the EU. The situation is so serious that the Soil Association has joined forces with six, apparently disparate organisations, to help save the smaller abattoir sector which organic livestock producers and consumers of locally-produced organic meat, depend upon. Sir Julian Rose, a trustee of the Soil Association and Chairman of their Standards Board, will be presenting a 120,000-strong petition to Downing Street today (Thursday 12 October at 1.45pm), urging the Prime Minister to take urgent action to avoid another serious and totally avoidable crisis for the livestock industry. Sir Julian said,