Reducing Meat and Dairy

One of the most impactful changes we can make for the environment both as individuals and society as a whole is to reduce our consumption of meat and dairy. This would have the following benefits:

• Significantly fewer carbon emissions. For example, when comparing protein sources, beef and lamb are responsible for at least ten times more greenhouse gas emissions than tofu (from soy); chicken is responsible for at least twenty times more emissions than nuts and four times more emissions than pulses. 

• More land for nature. The expansion of land for livestock and crops to feed livestock is the leading cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss. If everyone in the world switched from animal to plant-based protein it would free up land equivalent to North America and Brazil combined. 

• More biodiversity. Only 6% of mammals on Earth (by weight) are wild. This reduces to just 3% when only land mammals are included. 71% of birds are poultry which means chickens and other poultry outweigh wild birds by more than 3-to-1. 

• Less pollution. Intensive farming causes pollution that harms ecosystems. One prominent example is chicken farming which experts believe has devastated wildlife in the River Wye. 

The reason why meat and dairy are problematic is because it’s much more efficient to eat plants directly than through an animal. Animals take up a lot of land, not only for themselves but also to grow crops for them to eat. For example, it takes nine times as many inputs (feed, energy, fresh water) to produce a calorie of chicken than a calorie of plant protein. Cows and sheep take up much more land than chickens, and they also expel methane, which is 100 times more potent in heating the Earth than carbon dioxide.

It is because our current levels of meat and dairy are unsustainable that UK Government bodies such as the Climate Change Committee and the last Government's National Food Strategy have recommended reductions in meat and dairy consumption. Farming groups too, for example those that promote environmentally-sustainable practices such as the Oxford Real Farming Conference and the Biodynamic Association, support a 50% reduction of meat and dairy through the Eating Better initiative. 

Some experts suggest that eating small amounts of beef and lamb that are farmed non-intensively can be sustainable. This is because cows and sheep eat grass and other fibrous plants that people cannot digest and can also contribute to biodiversity by grazing species-rich habitats. When part of a mixed farming system, they can benefit soil structure and fertility which is degraded by continuous cultivation for cereals and vegetables. Not everyone agrees that such farming systems are realistic on a population scale and instead promote technologies such as cultured meat and precision fermentation where we produce meat and dairy without animals, thereby freeing up large amounts of land that can be devoted to nature restoration or other uses. Both sides in this debate, however, agree that our consumption of animal products must be substantially reduced.

Climate Action Ilkley’s food group is focusing on the need to reduce meat and dairy rather than other food-related environmental actions that are sometimes suggested, for example eating local. Whilst eating locally-produced food can be better for the environment (although not always, because of factors like seasonality and different methods of growing food from place to place), eating local only has a very small impact on carbon emissions. This is because transport accounts for just a tiny proportion of the environmental impact of food, unless it comes to us by air, which very little does.

Easy Steps to Reduce Meat and Dairy

We don’t all have to become vegan or even vegetarian to reduce our consumption of meat and dairy. Here are some easy steps you can take to minimise your impact on the environment through your diet:

1. Try swapping out some of the meat in a recipe for pulses or lentils. For example, you could substitute half of the mince in a shepherd’s pie for a can of green lentils. This is a healthy option because it adds fibre that most people lack in their diet.

2. Try cutting out meat a few times a week. If you’re not used to it, it can be difficult to imagine tasty and wholesome meals that don’t include meat. However, there are many easy and delicious recipes that you could try, for example, on the BBC food website.

3. Try swapping out processed meat such as burgers, sausages, nuggets or bacon for plant-based alternatives. Some people have found it hard to tell the difference as can be seen by these viral clips from popular TV programmes This Morning and the Jeremy Vine show. Whilst it’s never good to eat too much processed food, processed meat is particularly harmful to health and ideally should be avoided (for example it causes cancer). Plant-based processed food does not carry the same risks.

4. Try plant-based milks such as soya milk or oat milk on your cereal instead of cow’s milk. Whilst these are different and can take a few days to get used to, many people who have switched now prefer these to dairy milk. (Note that cow’s milk contains lactose so if you try soya milk you may find it more palatable to try the sweetened version. Oat milk is naturally sweet.)

5. Try reducing the amount of fish you eat to reduce the impact of overfishing or at least consult the Marine Conservation Society’s good fish guide before you buy. If you eat fish or take fish oil tablets for omega-3, consider using an algae-based equivalent instead (fish only contain omega-3 because they eat this algae so this is a far more efficient alternative).

6. If you have a dog, try feeding them a plant-based alternative to meat. One study has suggested that this might even be a healthier option. 

Join Us!

Our food action group aims to provide support for individuals, local businesses, schools and other organisations to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy, particularly using ‘nudging’ techniques, which don’t restrict people’s freedom to choose what they eat. 

If you’d like to join or contact us, please email: food@climateactionilkley.org.uk.