An agency in the United Nations designed to lead international efforts to defeat hunger is reportedly expected to call on the West — including the United States — to reduce meat consumption to combat so-called climate change.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced it plans to introduce a first-of-its-kind global food recommendation document at the Climate Change Conference COP28 — a two-week summit beginning on November 30 at the Expo City Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Bloomberg, the plan will call upon the world’s most developed nations to curb their excessive appetite for meat to reduce greenhouse emissions, issue guidelines for farmers to adapt to “erratic weather,” and cut back emissions from food waste, post-harvest loss, or fertilizer use.
“The failure of leading meat and dairy companies to reduce emissions underlines the urgent need for more policy focus on the food and agriculture sector,” Jeremy Coller, the chair and founder of the FAIRR Initiative, an investor network that works with financial institutions to promote climate-friendly agriculture worldwide, said in a recent statement reported by Fox News.
Coller said food system emissions represent an estimated third of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of methane, which he asserted deserve “a place at the top of the table” with other climate concerns, including energy and transport.
“Investors hope the first-ever publication of a food and agriculture road map at COP28 this month will catalyze the transition to 1.5 degrees and a more sustainable food system,” he added.
Although U.S. representatives for the intergovernmental organization have not pledged to join the delegation, the UN agency’s recommendations are not binding.
According to a March 2021 study published in the Nature Food Journal, about 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year — approximately a third of total worldwide emissions — make up the global food system.
Fox News reported that the UN’s FAO data suggests that livestock accounts for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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However, according to the Daily Mail — the U.S. agriculture industry only accounts for 1.4% of global emissions and 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
UN officials have reportedly advocated for a plant-based diet to reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons, but researchers found that a vegetarian diet or switching to lab-grown meat could prove ineffective in improving global emissions.
The University of California, Davis, published a study reported by the Daily Mail earlier this year that indicated lab-grown or “cultured” meat produced by cultivating animal cells is up to 25 times worse for the climate than natural beef.
“Currently, animal cell-based meat products are being produced at a small scale and at an economic loss, however companies are intending to industrialize and scale-up production,” the researchers wrote. “Results indicate that the environmental impact of near-term animal cell-based meat production is likely to be orders of magnitude higher than median beef production if a highly refined growth medium is utilized.”
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) told Fox News Digital in a statement that regulating American farmers and ranchers out of business in the U.S would only export production overseas under hostile foreign governments, worsen emissions profiles, and harm food security and affordability rather than effectively addressing global climate change.
“Simply put, the world needs American farmers and ranchers more than the UN,” Thompson said, adding that U.S. farmers and ranchers are “climate heroes” for reducing emissions while providing Americans with abundant and affordable food, fiber, and fuel.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farmers and ranchers are getting almost three times more out of their production than what they put into it compared to 70 years ago. The organization noted that livestock emissions, including pork, milk, and beef production, continue to decrease.