Meat consumption in the European Union should be reduced by 71% by 2030 and by 81% by 2050 in order to reduce the impact of the current agricultural model on the environment and thus contribute to keeping global warming below 1.5°C, according to a new analysis by the NGO Greenpeace, published on Friday 13 March.
“The science is overwhelming at this stage: overconsumption of meat and dairy is wrecking forests, crushing nature and heating the planet ”, said Sini Eräjää, Greenpeace campaigner for EU agriculture and forests.
In concrete terms, such reductions would be equivalent to a weekly meat consumption of 460 grams per person by 2030 and 300 grams by 2050, a reduction of 1.12 kg and 1.28 kg respectively compared to the current EU average consumption (1.58 kg per week).
According to scientists, at the global level, these consumption levels would guarantee food security while keeping global warming below 1.5°C, the NGO insists.
Greenpeace therefore calls on the European Commission to include targets for reducing meat and dairy consumption in its next 'farm to fork' food strategy, to be presented on 25 March (see EUROPE 12416/13, 12428/4).
This analysis comes a few days after the call for urgent reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy launched by 3,600 scientists (see EUROPE 12443/14).
See Greenpeace analysis: http://bit.ly/2TLeV4c (original version in French by Damien Genicot)