Have you ever wondered about the hidden environmental costs of your meal? You're not alone. As the world grows increasingly aware about the consequences of our dietary choices, we aim to answer the question: What percentage of global CO2 and GHG emissions originates directly or indirectly from meat production?
Almost 15% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions result from livestock farming, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
This includes both direct emissions from livestock, such as methane from cows, and indirect emissions, such as those from deforestation to create land for grazing.
More recent analysis also revealed that the majority of the world’s cropland is now used to feed animals, rather than humans - while the discrepancy between the amount of GHG’s emitted per kilo of wheat (2.5kg) V per kilo of beef (70kg) is huge!
However it’s not just the production of food that’s the problem - shipping it about and into our shops causes wider environmental impact.
Food transport accounts for about 19% of global food-related emissions, and 6% of total global emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
- In the United States, food transport accounts for about 14% of total food-related emissions.
- In the United Kingdom, food transport accounts for about 25% of total food-related emissions.
However, it is important to note that the emissions costs of food transport vary depending on the type of food, the distance it is transported, and the mode of transportation.
For example, meat has a higher environmental impact than plant-based foods, both in terms of production and transportation. This is because meat production requires more land, water, and energy than plant-based food production. Additionally, meat is often transported long distances, which increases its environmental impact.
As you’d then also expect, locally sourced food has a far lower environmental impact than food that is transported long distances. Quite often it has also undergone less other polluting processes - for example plastic packaging or less time spent in cold storage.
Accordingly, you can easily surmise that if people switched to less meat and more plant-based foods, and tried to source things as locally as possible (which is admittedly often quite hard), then our carbon footprint from food alone would drop substantially. But by how much?
Well, one study by the University of Sydney found that if everyone in the world ate a plant-based diet, it would reduce global food-related emissions by 73%. The study also found that if everyone in the world ate locally sourced food, it would reduce global food-related emissions by 25%.
Now clearly food is a choice - and not everyone can or wants to give up meat and only eat locally produced food. But what this data shows is just how significant it COULD be if everyone moved a little - one or two less meat dishes a week. A monthly visit to the local farmers market - or only buying locally sourced grub in supermarkets (and BTW, the more you do this, the more the supermarket will stock it - because their data will show them its what their customers want - beneficial cycle!) can also make a big difference to your combined food carbon footprint.
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cutting down on meat consumption and buying locally sourced food can also have other benefits, such as:
- Improving public health: Meat consumption has been linked to a number of health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Eating a plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk of these diseases.
- Supporting local farmers: Buying locally sourced food supports local farmers and businesses. This can help to strengthen the local economy and create jobs.
- Reducing food waste: Food waste is a major environmental problem. Buying locally sourced food can help to reduce food waste because it is less likely to spoil during transportation.
So, there are a bunch of reasons for changing how and what you eat - but let’s leave you with one more area we haven’t tackled yet:
Research by Oxford University found that - across 150 countries including the UK, US, AUS and the EU - the more plant-based and less meat-based your diet is, the more money you save on your food bill.
- Vegan diets were the most affordable and reduced food costs by up to one third.
- Vegetarian diets were a close second.
- Flexitarian diets with low amounts of meat and dairy reduced costs by 14%.
- By contrast, pescatarian diets increased costs by up to 2%.
Concluding, the research authors said this: ‘When scientists like me advocate for healthy and environmentally-friendly eating, it’s often said we’re sitting in our ivory towers promoting something financially out of reach for most people. This study shows it’s quite the opposite. These diets could be better for your bank balance as well as for your health and...the planet.”
