The Wealthy Should Consume Less Meat

Experts urge wealthier nations to drastically reduce meat consumption. Will environmental advocates heed the call?

Consider this alarming reality: Even if global dependence on fossil fuels ceases entirely, current agricultural practices and diets will still elevate global temperatures beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to levels before the industrial era—the critical limit identified in the Paris Climate Agreement. Exceeding this benchmark will intensify the consequences of climate change.

Fortunately, there's a clear solution. Residents of affluent nations need to shift their diets toward more plant-based foods while significantly reducing intake of red meat, poultry, and dairy.

Adopting such dietary changes—along with minimizing food waste globally and boosting agricultural efficiency—could potentially slash climate-related emissions from food production by over half. This significant finding is part of a new report by the EAT-Lancet Commission, a respected assembly of experts in nutrition, climate science, economics, and agriculture.

The report highlights agriculture's substantial impact on surpassing several 'planetary boundaries,' contributing to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in addition to deforestation and pollution of air and water.

Building on its previous analysis from 2019, this report explored ways to fulfill the nutritional demands of an expanding global population while maintaining ecological balance. Despite its significant influence in policy and academic circles, it faced intense rebuttals from those aligned with the meat industry, an act branded as 'misinformation and denialism on climate science,' by Johan Rockström, a co-author of the report.

Environmental Impact of Current Food Practices

Our food systems are responsible for a massive environmental toll owing to various factors: clearance of land for grazing and crop production mainly for feeding livestock, vast quantities of manure from farm animals, methane emissions from cattle, wastage of food, production of fertilizers, pollution, and the fossil fuels needed at farms and throughout supply chains.

Yet, this environmental degradation is largely driven to cater to the meat-heavy diets of affluent nations, exemplifying global dietary inequalities.

According to the report, the wealthiest 30% of the world’s population accounts for more than 70% of the environmental stresses arising from food systems.

To pave the way for a healthier, sustainable future, the commission suggests the 'Planetary Health Diet,' emphasizing more consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, and less focus on meat, dairy, and sugar. Conversely, for less affluent regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the recommendation is to increase animal product intake along with a diverse range of plant-based foods.

Potential Outcomes and Policy Suggestions

Adopting a plant-dominant diet globally might prevent up to 15 million premature deaths annually. The commission points out that while the diet serves as a guideline, it should be tailored to individual preferences, local food habits, availability, and other dynamics.

If embraced worldwide, the shift would not only drastically cut the number of animals raised for meat annually but also surge the production of legumes, nuts, fish, and whole grains.

Instead of expecting a sweeping change in eating habits, the commission advocates modifying school menus, revising national dietary guidelines, adjusting farming subsidies, controlling the marketing of unhealthy foods, and enhancing environmental policies for agricultural practices.

Implementing these recommendations, particularly promoting plant-centered diets, could achieve three-quarters of the forecasted reduction in agricultural emissions. Other measures, although essential, would contribute less significantly.

While the report is comprehensive, its insights are not entirely new; for decades, research has underscored the need for rich nations to adopt more plant-based diets. Yet, this crucial message often fails to spur meaningful governmental and organizational actions.

Challenges from the Meat Industry

The continuing resistance from the meat industry has been a notable obstacle in this mission. During the 2010s, it looked achievable for the US and richer countries to lean towards plant-based diets. Pioneers anticipated new products from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods could revolutionize the conventional meat market. Campaigns such as Meatless Monday and Veganuary were gaining popularity.

However, this surge posed a significant threat to the livestock industry. In light of such challenges, the first EAT-Lancet report emerged amidst global attention, but it quickly encountered fierce backlash predominantly orchestrated by the meat sector.

Subsequently, this resulted in retracting events like the WHO's launch endorsement of the report. Authors faced harsh criticism and career impacts. The meat industry continued to maneuver policies and discourse to its advantage, often diverging from scientific consensus.

Despite daunting industry pressures curbing global efforts to reduce meat consumption, the new EAT-Lancet report remains vital, albeit more vulnerable.

Missed Opportunities at Environmental Gatherings

During recent Climate Week NYC, one of the most significant climate events, an opportunity to focus on plant-based dietary solutions was notably underutilized. Out of more than a thousand events, only a handful addressed plant-based food aligning with environmental goals.

Meanwhile, meat and dairy industries made substantial appearances, with initiatives like the Protein Pact forming a visible sponsor and presence.

Given these vested interests in attendance, it often remains challenging to distinguish genuine environmental concern from attempts at image enhancement by influential industry players.

It’s perplexing for environmental movements to embrace perspectives downplaying the sector’s impact—resulting in under acknowledgment of meat-related environmental harm in media coverage.

Finding Ways Forward

Despite the prevailing skepticism and resistance, hope shines through initiatives like Food Day during Climate Week, organized for advocacy of plant-focused diets.

This event drew a diverse crowd wishing to tackle the pressing issue of dietary shifts towards sustainability. Likewise, a subsequent climate journalism event encouraged wider public engagement and interest in these substantial topics.

While met with overpowering interests of the meat industry, such gatherings hint at a growing acknowledgment that dietary approaches must evolve for our environment and health. These are only small steps but mark necessary progress.