GENEVA, July 5 — While an increasing number of individuals are reducing their meat consumption for ecological reasons, the production of our food will unfortunately continue to have a major impact on the environment. While demographic growth is an obstacle faced by the food industry in reducing its carbon footprint, the growth in animal protein-based diets is adding yet another hurdle to overcome in meeting this objective, which is essential for reducing global warming on a planetary scale.
At the end of April, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published what is considered the most comprehensive analysis to date on the benefits and risks of consuming animal source food, and identified meat, eggs and dairy products as “essential sources of nutrients for most vulnerable groups.” These sources of nutrients are considered vital in diets during “key life stages such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as during childhood, adolescence and older age.” This document did not, however, ignore the environmental impact of these foods, considering that livestock farming is estimated to be responsible for 14.5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the past 20 years, food-related greenhouse gas emissions have risen by 14 per cent, or 2 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent, according to a study published in the journal Nature Food and carried out jointly by the Universities of Groningen (Netherlands) and Birmingham (England). Taking the period between 2000 and 2019 as a reference, the scientists noted that the increase in consumption of animal-based foods largely explains (up to 95 per cent) the rise in global CO2 emissions that can be attributed to food. While beef is often singled out as most problematic, the impact of dairy production is even more significant: beef was found to contribute 32 per cent of the increase in global emissions linked to animal products, while the total is even higher for dairy, at 46 per cent.
It’s been established that to put the brakes on global warming, we need to restrict our consumption of these foods. Some parts of the world are less concerned than others, but globally the major shift that society needs to undertake is far from a fait accompli. “The agrifood system drives global land use and agricultural activities — contributing to around one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas. Population growth, expansion of food production, and an increase in animal-based diets are likely to further increase emissions and squeeze the global carbon budget,” explains Dr. Yuli Shan, author of the study, in a statement relayed by the University of Birmingham. The analysis also points out that the United Nations has estimated that to feed 9.1 billion mouths by 2050, that current food demand will increase by 70 per cent.
Currently, five countries alone account for over 40 per cent of global emissions linked to the food supply chain. In 2019 China emitted 2 gigatonnes of carbon equivalent related to food production, while India accounted for 1.3 gigatonnes, Indonesia for 1.1 gigatonnes, Brazil for 1 gigatonne and the USA for the same amount. — ETX Studio
