Meat consumption must fall by at least 75 percent
However, in small quantities it can be quite sustainable

Date:
April 25, 2022
Source:
University of Bonn
Summary:
If our planet Earth is to continue feeding us in the future,
rich countries must significantly reduce their meat consumption --
ideally by at least 75 percent. The study reviews the current state
of research on various aspects of meat consumption. In addition to
the effects on the environment and climate, these include health
and economic effects.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
If our planet Earth is to continue feeding us in the future, rich
countries must significantly reduce their meat consumption -- ideally
by at least 75 percent. This is the conclusion of a new study by the
University of Bonn. The study reviews the current state of research on
various aspects of meat consumption. In addition to the effects on the environment and climate, these include health and economic effects. A conclusion of the researchers: Eating meat in small amounts can be quite sustainable. The results are published in the journal Annual Review of
Resource Economics.


========================================================================== Every EU citizen consumes around 80 kilograms of meat per year. 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. Ruminants for instance produce methane, which accelerates
global warming. Animals also convert only a portion of the calories
they are fed into meat. In order to feed the same number of people,
meat therefore requires a much larger land area.

This is to the detriment of ecosystems, as less space is left for natural species conservation. Furthermore, those eating too much meat live risky -
- meat in excess is not healthy and can promote chronic diseases.

So there are good reasons for significantly reducing consumption of
animal- based foods. "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," explains study author
Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at
the University of Bonn. "We therefore need to significantly reduce our
meat consumption, ideally to 20 kilograms or less annually. 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." At present, around half of all grains produced worldwide are used as animal feed, Qaim said.

Mass vegetarianism is not the best solution Would it not be better for humankind to switch completely to vegetarian or, even better, vegan
diets? According to the study, this would be the wrong consequence. On
the one hand, there are many regions where plant-based foods cannot be
grown. "We can't live on grass, but ruminants can," clarifies Qaim's
colleague and co-author Dr. Martin Parlasca. "Therefore, if grassland
cannot be used in any other way, it makes perfect sense to keep livestock
on it." From an environmental point of view, there is also no real
objection to careful grazing with a limited number of animals.

Poorer regions in particular also lack plant sources of high-quality
proteins and micronutrients. For instance, vegetables and legumes cannot
be grown everywhere and, moreover, can be harvested only at certain
times of the year.

"In such cases, animals are often a key element of a healthy diet,"
Parlasca points out. "For many people, they are also an important source
of income. If the revenue from milk, eggs and meat is lost, this can
threaten their livelihoods." In any case, the poorer countries are
not the problem, the authors point out. For their inhabitants, meat
is usually much less frequently on the menu than in industrialized
nations. This means that the rich countries in particular must reduce
their meat consumption.

Tax on meat products makes sense At the moment, there is little sign
of this. Although there are more vegetarians than before, aggregate
meat consumption is stagnating across Europe. However, it is highest
in North America and Australia. Qaim believes it is important to also
consider higher taxes on animal-based foods. "That's certainly unpopular, especially since a ten- or twenty-percent surcharge probably wouldn't
be enough, if it's supposed to have a steering effect," he says. "Meat, however, has a high environmental cost that is not reflected in current
prices. It would be entirely reasonable and fair to have consumers
share more of these costs." The authors also call for the topic of "sustainable consumption" to be increasingly integrated into school
curricula. These contents should also be better included into the training
of future teachers. "We need to become more sensitive to the global
impact of our decisions," emphasizes Qaim, who is also a member of the
PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence and (like his colleague Martin Parlasca)
of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) "Sustainable Futures" at
the University of Bonn. "This is true not only with food, but also with
the shirt we buy at the discount store to wear for a single evening at
a party."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Bonn. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Martin C. Parlasca, Matin Qaim. Meat Consumption and Sustainability.

Annual Review of Resource Economics, 2022; 14 (1) DOI:
10.1146/annurev- resource-111820-032340 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220425135937.htm

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