UN Urges Americans to Ditch Meat!
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced plans to call upon developed nations, including the United States, to reduce their meat consumption to combat climate change. This groundbreaking recommendation will be introduced at the 28th annual Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, beginning November 30.
According to Bloomberg, the FAO's plan also includes issuing guidelines for farmers to adapt to erratic weather, as well as reducing emissions from food waste, post-harvest loss, and fertilizer use. The FAO believes these efforts will help to combat the estimated one-third of global greenhouse emissions that come from the food system.
FAO's chair and founder, Jeremy Coller, stated that the failure of leading meat and dairy companies to reduce their emissions highlights the urgent need for more policy focus on the food and agriculture sector. He pointed out that food system emissions account for approximately a third of global emissions and 40% of methane. Coller believes that this issue deserves a top spot on the agenda alongside other climate concerns, such as energy and transport.
UN set to call on America to reduce its meat consumption…
I will now double up and eat twice as much (grass fed) meat. The UN doesn’t tell Americans how to live or what to eat. https://t.co/mV43BManBz— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) November 28, 2023
Investors, such as those with the FAIRR Initiative, who work to promote sustainable agriculture, hope the publication of the first-ever food and agriculture road map at COP28 will bring attention to the crucial role of the food system in reducing emissions and help catalyze the transition to a more sustainable food system.
While U.S. representatives from the FAO have not pledged to join the delegation, the organization's recommendations are not binding. However, the U.S. agriculture industry only accounts for 1.4% of global emissions and 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Daily Mail.
The UN's advocacy for a plant-based diet as a solution to reducing an individual's carbon footprint has been met with criticism. A study published earlier this year in the Nature Food Journal found that lab-grown meat, which is produced by cultivating animal cells, could actually be 25 times more harmful to the climate than natural beef.
FACT: US Farmers are only 10% of US carbon emissions.
FACT: US Ag Land Use & Forestry offsets 12% of total US carbon emissions.
FACT: US Ag is a NET CARBON SINK.
FACT: US Farmers feed the WORLD.UN PROPAGANDA: Americans must reduce meat consumption to reduce climate change. pic.twitter.com/9qSiWVKOIq
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) November 28, 2023
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) stated that regulating American farmers and ranchers out of business would only harm food security and affordability and worsen emissions profiles, rather than effectively addressing global climate change. Thompson added that U.S. farmers and ranchers are "climate heroes," as they have been successful in reducing emissions while providing abundant and affordable food, fiber, and fuel for Americans.
The American Farm Bureau Federation also notes that farmers and ranchers today are getting almost three times more out of their production compared to 70 years ago. The organization also highlights that livestock emissions continue to decrease, including emissions from pork, milk, and beef production.
In conclusion, the FAO's recommendation to reduce meat consumption to combat climate change is a significant step in recognizing the role of the food system in emissions. However, addressing this issue will require a comprehensive approach that considers all factors, including the importance of American farmers and ranchers in providing sustainable and affordable food.