Climate Change and Meat Consumption Jens Holm, MEP Zagreb 2/10-09
Source: Prof. Konrad Steffen, Univ. of Colorado
Ilulissat
World´s meat production
2005: 264 million ton. 2050: 465 million ton (approx).
A lot of meat = a lot of animals
Animals y/w Chickens 48 bn Pigs 1.2 bn Lamb/sheep 800 million Turkeys700 million Cattle300 million
Soy bean production
Meat -> global warming Livestock: 2/3 of the world´s N 2 O % of the world´s CH 4 9 % av the world´s CO 2 18 % of world´s GHG Källa: FAO Livestock´s Long Shadow, 2006
Meat consumption per capita kg/y. Source: FAO, 2004
Meat consumption in North and South
Solutions Abolish the EU meat subsidies Meat tax Information campaigns Public procurement Meat free day. Campaigns on restaurants etc.
Thursdays…
Even in the EP…
Science says: Eat less meat 2006 Livestock´s Long Shadow. Environmental Issues and Options FAO. Meat industry and livestock breeding represents 18 % of world´s emissions of greenhouse gases Beef and Car? Household´s Environmental Choices Swedish EPA: Food consumption 1/5 of Sweden´s total energy use Vegan, Vegetarian, Onmivore, Sweden´s University of Agricultural Sciences: times more energy needed to produce meat instead of beans. Sept 2007 Report in The Lancet. Reduce of meat consumption to the half of today´s levels. 2008, Taxation on Animal Food in the EU, Molin, Wirsenius et al Chalmers University. Impose a meat tax! 2008 Less meat – less heat. Rajendra Pachuari, chair of IPCC McKinsey Eat less meat The Amazone Cattle Footprint, Greenpeace. Meat consumption main culprit the destruction of rainforest rise in cattle from 26 to 64 million.
The people: Yes we can 1997 Eating for a better Environment, Swedish EPA: Meat consumption should decrease with 75 %, milk with 25 %. June 2009 Food recommendations. Swedish National Food Administration and the EPA Eat 40 % less meat! 2008 The Public and Climate Change (No. 5904). Swedish EPA 47 % of the Swedes are willing to reduce their meat consumption in order to reduce their climate impact.
Eat less or no meat!