Would It Be Good For The Health And The Planet If Less Meat Was Consumed?
Minister Alberto Garzón advises reducing the consumption of meat for the health of the individual and the planet. His words have caused a controversy with other ministers and representatives of the livestock and meat industries. But is it true that it would be good to eat less meat?
The Minister of Consumption of the Government of Spain, Alberto Garzón, has published a video on his Twitter account in which he asks Spaniards to consume less meat and to become aware of its negative effects on health and the environment, because their Intensive production generates a large amount of gases that favor climate change.
In the text of the tweet, Garzón said that “14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock, especially macro-farms, while for us to have 1 kilo of beef, 15,000 liters of water are required “. The tweet featured the hashtag # MenosCarneMásVida.
Garzón explained that “we must reduce the consumption of meat. That does not mean not consuming meat, but it means consuming in accordance with health recommendations and that, if we can, that the origin is controllable and that it is from extensible livestock, which is the one that protects the territory, the planet and the jobs “.
The minister’s words have been answered by members of his own government and by representatives of the livestock and meat industries. The Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, declared on the SER network that the campaign in favor of reducing meat consumption is “wrong” and asked that the livestock sector be respected.
Is meat bad for your health?
Beyond the statements of the politicians are the facts. On the health effects of meat, there is a 2015 report from the World Health Organization that classifies processed meats as causing cancer and red as probable causes.
This WHO report was based at the time on more than 800 different studies, selected by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that linked cancer in humans and the consumption of red or processed meat.
On the other hand, dozens of scientific studies associate the dominant saturated fats in meat products with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
In Spain more than double the recommended meat is consumed
Despite this information, in Spain, in 2020 meat consumption increased by 10.2% compared to the previous year, reaching an average of 50 kg per person, according to the annual food consumption report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAP).
Is 50 kg of meat a year a lot or a little? The consumption of meat is not essential for health. The vegetarian diet supplemented with vitamin B12 is healthy. But 50 kg of meat is between double and quadruple what the health authorities themselves recommend.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (Aesan) advises a moderate consumption of meat, between 2 and 4 times a week. Taking as a reference rations of 100-125 grams, this means a consumption of 9 to 20 kg of meat per year.
Is meat bad for the planet?
As Garzón says in the video, “cows and pig feces and their feed generate more pollution than cars)”, as this information appears in a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO ) of the year 2009.
This document indicates that the livestock sector “is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalents, a higher percentage than that corresponding to means of transport.”
The 14.5% share of greenhouse gas emissions generated by livestock is recorded in another subsequent FAO report.
What is being done to reduce meat consumption?
Minister Garzón’s words are not accompanied by legislative or economic measures to reduce meat consumption. On the contrary, so far it has been promoted with grants and campaigns such as #LetsTalkAboutPork or #HazteVaquero, says the ProVeg association in a press release.
ProVeg calls for VAT to be applied to products that reflects their environmental impact. The larger the footprint, the higher the VAT. Thus, it would be necessary to reduce the VAT of those of vegetable alternatives and increase that of meat and dairy products of animal origin.
The official nutritional guidelines should also be modified to adapt to the concept of “planetary diet” and prioritize the consumption of vegetable protein over animal protein. An example would be the Canadian Food Guide.
Other ideas are to offer vegetable menus in schools, hospitals and other public services and to include information on the environmental impact on the labels of food products.
Finally, the government should establish concrete objectives for the reduction of meat consumption within the framework of the measures taken to avoid climate change, ProVeg proposes.
