The alliance claims that meat is typically the most greehouse gas intensive part of our diet, accounting for at least 14.5% of global emissions - as significant as transport. Research has also found that reducing meat and dairy consumption by half would reduce heart disease and cancers, and cut GHG from agriculture by up to 42%.
Sue Dibb, coordinator of Eating Better, said: “A missing trick stares us in the face three times a day – it¹s what we¹re eating. One vital, simple step is for people in high consuming countries, including the UK, to eat less and better meat and a greater variety of plant-based foods. This will have benefits for our health and the health of our planet.”
The organisation is calling on the UK Government, devolved administrations and the EU to implement policies that help people move towards eating less and better meat in the UK, including:
- Putting food and agriculture centre-stage in strategies to meet climate change agreements and sustainable development goals.
- Update the UK¹s official dietary guidance – the eatwell plate – and associated advice to integrate sustainability messages including eating less meat.
- Introduce mandatory procurement standards for caterers to ensure that meals paid for by taxpayers in schools, hospitals, prisons, care homes and all government departments are healthy & sustainable.
- Support and encourage farming that produces meat in ways that benefit the environment, human health and animal welfare and provides a fair return for farmers.
- Align UK business growth policy for food and farming with health and sustainability including supporting innovation and growth of a more diverse range of plant-based protein options.
- End the unnecessary and dangerous routine use of antibiotics in farming.
- Work with EU institutions and Member States to support Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform to deliver a European Healthy Sustainable Food and Farming Policy.
To read the full policy briefing, click here.