UN Calls for Reduced Beef Consumption

Americans Eat too Much Meat

At the upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will urge Western countries, including the United States, to reduce beef consumption as part of efforts to lower global greenhouse emissions, Bloomberg reports.

The FAO’s report, highlighting the significant environmental impact of livestock farming, will present non-binding recommendations aimed at guiding companies and investors towards sustainable practices. While advocating for reduced meat consumption in countries with high rates, the report also advises developing nations to enhance livestock production to address nutritional deficiencies.

The report underscores the critical role of food systems, responsible for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to livestock farming’s contribution to methane production, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.

The disparity in meat consumption is stark, with Americans consuming an average of 127 kilograms of meat annually, compared to much lower figures in countries like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This focus on meat and food consumption marks a shift from previous climate summits, which primarily concentrated on emissions from manufacturing and transportation. However, the FAO’s recommendations have met with criticism from some quarters, including Rep. Glenn Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, who argues that American farmers and ranchers are already contributing to climate solutions and that regulating them could lead to negative global impacts.

This debate highlights the complex interplay between food production, climate change, and global policy.