Research finds reducing meat consumption is key to solving the climate crisis

A new climate study on diet and carbon emissions suggests that switching from high meat consumption to a plant-based diet could significantly reduce the environmental harm associated with food production.

The study, the most extensive of its kind to date, published in the journal Nature Food, shows that an all-plant-based diet produces fewer climate-warming emissions than a diet that consumes more than 100 grams of meat per day. Water pollution and land use have also been reduced by 75%.

Researchers also observed that eliminating the use of animal products was associated with a 66% reduction in wildlife damage and a 54% reduction in water use.

Findings.

The devastating impact of meat and dairy consumption on the planet is well-documented, and new research adds to the case for drastic reductions in meat intake, especially in the world's richest countries.

Early research on diet and carbon emissions relied primarily on model diets and average effect values for each food group. But this new study by the University of Oxford took a closer look at the actual diets of 55,000 UK residents. The study also included data from 38,000 farms in 119 countries to explain the different environmental impacts of specific foods produced in different methods and regions. This approach significantly increases the credibility of the research results.

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