Partner Message – Here’s Why a Plant-Based Diet Is Good for the Climate

Search among 55 thousand people and 38 thousand farms

The huge impact of meat and dairy on the planet is well known, and people in rich countries will need to cut their meat consumption dramatically to end the climate crisis. But previous studies have used typical diets and averages for the impact of each food type. The new study, by contrast, analysed the real diets of 55,000 people in the UK. It also used data from 38,000 farms in 119 countries to take into account differences in the impact of some foods produced in different ways and places. This greatly increases the confidence in the conclusions.

Policy change needed, researchers say

However, what is eaten has been shown to be more important in terms of environmental impact than where and how it is produced. Previous research has shown that even the lowest-impact meat – organic pork – is responsible for eight times more climate damage than the highest-impact plant, oilseeds. The researchers therefore recommend that the UK introduce policies to help people eat less meat to meet the country’s climate targets. Ministers have repeatedly said they will not tell people what they should consume, despite the precedent of taxes on high-sugar drinks, for example. This is also the case in the Netherlands at the moment, although it is better for the environment to have such a policy. Leek dish Without eating meat.

Great impact on the environment

The global food system has a huge impact on the planet, emitting a third of all greenhouse gas emissions that drive global warming. It also uses 70% of the world’s fresh water and causes 80% of the pollution of rivers and lakes. Humans use about 75% of the Earth’s land, much of it for agriculture, and the destruction of forests is the main cause of the massive loss of biodiversity. The study also found that low-meat diets – less than 50 grams per day – had half the impact on greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and land use of meat-rich diets. However, the differences between low-meat diets, vegetarians and vegans were relatively small.

conclusion

According to the researchers who conducted the new study, diets that make global food production sustainable mean people in rich countries will “drastically” reduce their consumption of meat and dairy products. They said other ways to reduce the impact of diets on the environment, such as new technology and reducing food waste, will not be enough. The biggest difference seen in the study was in emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas produced by cattle and sheep. These emissions were 93% lower on a plant-based diet than on a meat-rich diet.