Eat less meat – it’s costing the earth

Why Eat Less Meat?

The simple answer to the question ‘why eat less meat?’ is that we’re eating too much already – too much for our own good, for the long-term sustainability of the planet – and for animal welfare.

Background

Globally, meat consumption is increasing at a phenomenal rate. In the last 40 years, consumption has grown from 56 to 89 kilos of meat per person, per year in Europe and from 89 to 124 kilos in the US. Forty years ago, the Chinese were eating only 4 kilos of meat pp/pa – that figure has now reached 54 kilos and is still rising.

This global increase is a huge threat to us all.

Human health

Meat, meat products and dairy foods make up the greatest percentage of saturated fat in the average ‘western’ diet, contributing significantly to the huge increases in obesity, adult onset diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. One of the world’s leading nutritionists, Professor Walter Willett, of Harvard School of Public Health, lists the adverse health effects of high meat consumption (particularly red meat): “higher rates of several important cancers …heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”

Feeding the world

The majority of farm animals globally are fed on imported soya and cereals – globally between a third and a half of the world’s harvest is fed to animals. Yet much of the nutritional value of the feed is lost in its ‘conversion’ to meat. It takes 10 kilos of feed to produce 1 kilo of beef, 5 kilos for a kilo of pork.

In a world of increasing water scarcity, we know that it takes 100,000 litres of water to produce a kilo of beef, yet only 900 litres to produce a kilo of wheat.

Environmental damage

Farm animals produce 13 billion tonnes of waste every year. Liquid effluent from factory farms often pollutes soils and rivers, gaseous wastes like methane and carbon dioxide contribute to global warming.

Animal welfare

Whilst in the UK and EU we have made great strides in phasing out some of the worst factory farming systems, globally, factory farming is increasing rapidly to meet the growing demand for meat. In the US, most meat is from highly intensive systems. Agribusiness companies from the US, Canada and Europe are investing in pig and chicken factory farms in countries like China. So the global burden of farm animal suffering is on the increase.

Eat Less Meat

In response to this global crisis, CIWF has launched an important campaign to persuade people to eat less meat – and when they buy meat, to buy preferably organic or free-range meat produced in sustainable farming systems.

Our prime target is the wealthy western world where meat consumption is at its peak. If we can make reducing meat consumption a real policy issue, then hopefully developing countries will learn from our bitter experience and avoid the policies which have promoted meat production and consumption here for so many years, with such disastrous impacts on our health, on the animals and on the environment.

Call on individuals

CIWF is calling on individuals to reduce their consumption of meat and buy only organic and free range meat.

Call on governments

CIWF is calling on western governments and global food and farming bodies to set targets for at least a 15% reduction in meat consumption by 2020.

Latest UK news - children's food bill

SUSTAIN, the alliance for better food and farming, have launched a parliamentary bill on children's food. This seeks to introduce regulations to ensure better diet and nutrition and to protect children from the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks.

Click the link below to find out more and to see how you can support the campaign.

www.childrensfoodbill.org.uk

Eat Less Meat campaign launch

Compassion in World Farming launched our Eat Less Meat campaign on March 15th at The Geological Society in London. An invited audience of over 100 people came to hear our message. Chairing the event was Jenny Jones, Deputy Mayor of London and leading the speakers was Jonathon Porritt – Britain’s best known environmentalist.

Jonathon spelt out clearly why, as an environmentalist, he regards excessive meat consumption as one of “ the gravest threats to the long term sustainability of human kind.”

Supporting Jonathon’s stance was food and farming specialist and author, Colin Tudge. Like Jonathon, Colin is a meat-eater. Like him, he’s a ‘less meat’ eater. Colin emphasised the difference between sustainable traditional farming and low-meat diets and modern intensive meat production and fast-burger culture.

Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, threw his weight behind the campaign, pointing out that global health agencies like the World Health Organisation (WHO) are at last beginning to realise the dangers of high meat consumption.

Mark Gold, former Director of Animal Aid, who did a brilliant job as author of our campaign report, explained just why this urgent problem needs addressing now – by us all.

Joyce D’Silva, CIWF Chief Executive, explained the link between increasing global meat consumption and the growth of factory farming systems which cause so much suffering to farm animals.

The audience then watched our campaign video ‘Eat Less Meat – It’s Costing the Earth’ and must have appreciated it – as all copies on display vanished in minutes!

A plea to our supporters. We do hope you will help us spread the Eat Less Meat message. Do use our materials and visit our new website www.eatlessmeat.org, where you can make your own pledge to eat less meat (or to be vegetarian of course).

Already our campaign is being endorsed by organisations such as The Soil Association and the Food Commission.

Campaign resources:

‘The Global Benefits of Eating Less Meat’ – a 76-page report by Mark Gold, with a stirring foreword by Jonathon Porritt. Gives the detailed reasoning behind the campaign and is fully referenced. Ideal for libraries, educational institutions and interested supporters. £2.00

‘Reducing Meat Consumption – The Case for Urgent Reform’ – a 4-page summary of the larger report. Easy to read, illustrated brochure – ideal for giving to friends and colleagues or using as a lobbying tool. Free

‘Eat Less Meat – It’s Costing the Earth’ – 17-minute video, includes interviews with experts: Jonathon Porritt, Dr Vandana Shiva, Professor Walter Willett, Patrick Holden (Soil Association), a UNESCO speaker and our own Joyce D’Silva. Great tool for influencing friends and colleagues, ideal to show at meetings of groups you belong to, such as WI. Suitable for older school children and college students (no blood/gore!). £6.00

www.eatlessmeat.org - our dedicated campaign site – do visit and send the link to your address book. Site includes report and has helpful tips and recipes. Huge thanks to volunteers Kelly Williams and James Hogan who designed the site for us.

Creating change

This is a long-term campaign. We won’t achieve our goals in a day or even a year. But we can begin the process of changing hearts and minds – then changing policies. We hope you’ll join us in speeding up the process!

Visit the Eat Less Meat microsite
Download the full report
Download the 4 page summary