February 5, 2010

 

UK needs to eat less meat to curb greenhouse effect

The UK needs to cut its poultry and pork consumption by 75% if it is going to meet targets to lower carbon emissions.

 

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said consumers needed to eat less meat if the UK had any chance of feeding itself in an environmentally-sustainable way.

 

"It's ludicrous and stupid not to talk about consumption when we're talking about environmental sustainability," Melchett told delegates during a break-out session at the organisation's conference in Birmingham on Wednesday (Feb 3).

 

There is a need to have less animals, or alternatively more grassland animals who help keep carbon in the ground through what they eat, offsetting their methane production, he said.

 

Melchett said grass-fed beef actually had a positive impact on climate change, if it was extensively grazed and nitrogen fertilisers were avoided.

 

Citing the further benefits of organic production, he said research carried out on his organic Norfolk farm had found his soil contained 30% more organic matter than his neighbour's conventionally-farmed land.