Why
Farmed meat accounts for 16.5% of total global GHG emissions and even more in the UK. (MDPI, Sustainability 2021)
Farmed meat is the single biggest cause of deforestation globally, mainly (67%) for growing animal feed. (Greenpeace UK)
Intensive animal farming is extremely water intensive. It requires over 11,000 L of water to produce roughly half a kilo of beef. (Pacific Institute: worldwater.org)
How
Eat meat only once a week or on special occasions.
Replace meat with alternative vegetarian proteins such as beans, lentils and peas.
If you are a regular meat eater, start by introducing 'Meat Free Monday' or 'Meat Free Friday'.
If possible, when you eat meat choose locally grown organic produce.
Check out your meat carbon footprint to help you make more environmentally-friendly dietary choices: https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/meat-footprint
Recommendations
Buy meat that is locally-raised, organic and pasture-fed.
Eat wild meat including venison or roadkill.
Buy organic meat with the following certification labels:
Organic Farmers and Growers CIC (GB-ORG-02)
Organic Food Federation (GB-ORG-04)
Soil Association Certification Ltd (GB-ORG-05, GB-BIO-142)
Biodynamic Association Certification (GB-ORG-06)
Quality Welsh Food Certification Ltd (GB-ORG-13)
OF&G (Scotland) Lts (GB-ORG-17)
B Corp (Certified B Corporation)
Non-GMO
Animal Welfare Approved
Regenerative Certifications by A Greener World (AGW)
Did you know?
More water is saved by not eating a large burger than by not showering for two months (PETA UK).
Beef is the most carbon-intensive type of meat. It makes up 62% of animal sector emissions (5.0 gigatonnes of CO2) For every 100 calories of crops fed to animals, we get a mere 3 calories of beef, a very inefficient use of resources. A loss of 97% of the calorific value of the crops grown!
85% of total UK farmland is used to feed livestock, providing a mere 32% of the calories that we eat. Much land is degraded to the point that it is not suitable for any-thing other than livestock. However, there are various techniques for regenerating land and ecosystems through Ecosystem Restoration or Rewilding.
Turning biomass into protein via an animal does not make economic sense.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Our World in Data:
Cows produce 36.4kg of GHG emissions for every 1000 calories produced.
Lambs emit 12.53kg of GHG emissions for every 1000 calories produced.
Poultry emits 5.34kg for every 1000 calories produced.
Pigs emit 5.15kg for every 1000 calories produced.
Spread the word
In order to keep warming below 1.5C we need to halve emissions by
2030. Share this action and help play a part in reversing climate change.
