Meat rationing 'vital' to combating climate change

The report from the Food Climate Research Network reiterates the warning that consumption of livestock products is a major contributor to greenhouse gasses and calls on Government to take swift action to stem the industry's emissions.

Researchers found that, with demand for meat increasing in developing countries, wealthier nations such as the UK would need to dramatically reduce consumption to avoid climate change spiralling out of control.

Consumers in the UK for example would need to reduce consumption to the same levels as those in developing countries today, its authors claim.

The report says: “This roughly translates into a 4 oz portion of meat every other day – equivalent to a quarter pounder hamburger or two sausages or 3–4 rashers of bacon. For milk a litre a week allows just about enough for cereal in the morning or for 100 g cheese – say three modest cheese sandwiches a week.”

The researchers admit that public awareness campaigns will not convince consumers to change their diets so dramatically, and instead calls for Government measures to convince people to change.

“People do not change in themselves – but they do adapt to changed circumstances,” it says. “People will do things differently when their social, economic, political and cultural surroundings require it.

“Creating these new surroundings will require the use of both regulatory and fiscal instruments.”

It claims that while the industry had begun to make progress, there is a long way to go and technological improvements such as renewable energy will have little effect if consumer behaviour does not change.

The report also sets out a raft of recommendations for Government and industry to help reduce GHG emissions from the food chain, including calling for the creation of a meat road map similar to the dairy industry's ambitious targets published earlier this year.

Have your say

Please do not complete the following form field for security reasons.

Name

E-mail

Comment