Why Meat?

Why is meat having such a big impact?
Select from the possible reasons below:

Land
use

Energy
use

Animal
burps

We eat
so much of it

The answer is all of them!

There are actually a number of reasons why rearing livestock for meat, eggs and dairy can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which is why cutting back on these foods is a huge help to the environment.

Cows and sheep burp whilst they chew the cud, this produces methane (the same gas we used in our homes). Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2. Producing meat isn’t as efficient as producing the same weight of protein from plants, as it uses a lot more land, energy and water to get the end product. This has led to widespread deforestation, biodiversity loss and pollution from animal wastes entering water systems. A third of all land in the UK is taken up by crops that are used just to feed livestock.

Processing meat is very industrialised using energy to prepare meat for the table. Dieticians and doctors tell us we eat too much meat leading to a varied of health problems. We can obtain the protein we need in our diet from plants, especially nuts and pulses, and this is better for the planet than feeding plants to animals and then eating them.