A new research undertaken by researchers at the University of Bonn and published in the Annual Review of Resource Economics has shown that a 75% drop in meat consumption is what is needed to meet climate targets.
According to new research which reviewed recent research on various aspects of meat consumption, both environmentally as well as economically, found that if the planet is to continue feeding humans, rich countries must significantly reduce their meat consumption,ideally by at least 75 per cent.
“Every EU citizen consumes around 80 kilograms of meat per year,” the researcher found. “But every juicy steak, every delicious sausage has a price that we do not pay at the counter, because livestock farming damages the climate and the environment.”
Titled “Meat Consumption and Sustainability”, the study points specifically to methane, which is produced by ruminant animals raised for food, namely cattle and sheep.
It will be recalled that the IPCC urged for a 30 per cent drop in methane emissions by 2025, In its recent instalment of the Sixth Annual Report on climate change.
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In his reaction, study author Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn, said “If all humans consumed as much meat as Europeans or North Americans, we would certainly miss the international climate targets and many ecosystems would collapse,”.
He noted that the war in Ukraine and the resulting shortages in international markets for cereal grains also underline that less grain should be fed to animals in order to support food security.
Story was adapted from Green Queen.
