The growing global consumption of meat is a huge problem for the environment. The UN proposes to solve it economically: by imposing a tax on the production of meat products.
This week, the international group of scientific experts on natural resources IRP (International Resource Panel), working within the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, UNEP, United Nations Environment Program) and including 34 scientists and 30 governments, published a report on the impact of global food industry on the environment. According to these data, in the next 10 years, the demand for chicken and dairy products will increase by 20 percent, and by 14% for pork and beef. The authors of the study talk about the disproportionately greater "price" of such growth for the environment and call on world governments to influence this situation by reducing the consumption of meat by the citizens of their countries.
Professor Maarten Hajer, lead author of the report, told the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi (Kenya's capital) that the world faces serious environmental problems if emerging economies like China catch up with Americans and Europeans in meat consumption: “If we all If we don’t eat [meat] like they do in North America and Europe, the planet will be in huge trouble.”
Hyer is not in favor of imposing a tax on meat in supermarkets and stores themselves, but believes that consumption can be reduced by increasing the cost of products earlier in the production chain: “We believe it is better to increase the cost of meat earlier in the chain [of its production]. It would be more attractive to set the tax at the level of the [final] consumer, but this is not as effective.”
Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment and co-chair of the IRP: “Consumer preferences are a very sensitive subject, but you have to deal with them because they have consequences. The time is coming when we can no longer just sweep all these consequences under the rug.”
from the IRP study include :
- food created and transported for 7 billion people is responsible for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions and the extinction of 60% of life on the planet;
- significant growth in pork consumption is observed (and is projected to 2020) in China, and poultry - in Indonesia, the European Union and North America;
- meat consumption in Black (Tropical) Africa will remain at the same level, while in India it will increase slightly.
See also anekdotig:
- Newsletter: " Scientists from Oxford calculate how global vegetarianism and veganism will help health and ecology " (March 22, 2016)
- Newsletter: " World Health Organization recommends reducing consumption of red and processed meat " (October 27, 2015)
- Article: “ Why and how does animal husbandry harm the environment? »
- Article: " How to switch to vegetarianism: the path to natural harmony ."
- Tip: " Organize a day without meat and animal products " (September 14, 2015)