We have less than 12 years to limit our emissions by half according to the most recent IPCC report, if we want to have a 50% chance at limiting warming to 1.5°C. At the same time, a rapid increase in the demand for high-emission animal-based foods is expected.
In other words, the situation does not look promising.
Public awareness on this issue appears to be growing but the pace is slow. The cultural and habitual aspect of consuming high quantities of animal-based foods in the western world seems to slow down the process. Also, meat and dairy producers still receive large subsidies, especially in Europe. Furthermore, the expected increase in the demand for animal-based foods is mainly going to take place in the developing world which brings social injustice to the need for a global reduction in the consumption of meat and dairy.
Significant changes are nonetheless taking place. There has been a rise in plant-based diets across the western world and more studies are highlighting the environmental impacts of our foods. For many, the awareness on the various issues of the industry has led to behaviour change. The demand that this has created as well as the need for more sustainable food practices has resulted in many new “meat substitutes” being created ranging from lab-grown, insect-based as well as various plant-based meats.
Lab-grown meat products have received a lot of media attention, despite still being in the early development stage. By using culture from the animal muscle tissues, meat is now being produced in laboratories. This new method claims to provide not only safer and healthier meat, but also reduces the harmful environmental impacts of conventional animal farming. Another alternative protein source is insect protein that is high in nutritional value and is environmentally more sustainable to produce compared to animal-based foods. Lastly, other plant-based products such as the “the bleeding” Beyond Meat burger made out of pea protein has seen demand growth since their launch in 2016.
In addition to newly developed meat substitutes, the introduction of a meat tax could potentially curb the increased demand in meat production. The environmental impacts of products do not tend to be reflected in their price, which is why a higher tax on environmentally harmful products could be one solution. Also, labelling food products according to their environmental impact has been suggested as a potential tool to change consumer habits.
All these emerging technologies and innovative solutions are definitely a step in the right direction, but will it be enough?
When I started writing this blog I already had some insight into the environmental impacts of animal-based foods, but I did not fully understand the severity of the problem. I have definitely learnt that the global problems created by animal production are not easy to solve. Measuring the real impact is difficult since there are so many different farming practices with different consequences on the environment. We definitely need to greatly reduce our consumption of meat, especially in the richer parts of the world where we consume most meat per capita, to be able to minimize the harmful effects on the environment.
So, are animal-based foods really the root of our environmental problems? Yes and no. We obviously cannot blame all environmental problems on meat and dairy, but several of our most pressing environmental issues are linked to animal farming. Therefore, minimising or eliminating our meat-intake is one of the most efficient ways of lowering our personal environmental footprint. Particularly in the western world.
The planet and future generations will thank us for that.
Three interviews with three amazing women. Listen to Professor Dame Theresa Marteau DBE, Dr Helen Harwatt and Imogen Cripps discuss aspects related to the future of food.
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