Reducing meat and dairy for a healthier life and planet \u2014 the Greenpeace vision of the meat and dairy system towards 2050.<\/p>\n\n
The food we eat and how we produce it are key to determining<\/span> what kind of future we and our children will have. In this report, we answer the question of \u201cw<\/span>hat to eat?\u201d by reviewing the scientific evidence exposing what our health and the health of the planet demand from us: <\/span>a global reduction of 50% in production and consumption of animal products by 2050 and a change in the way we produce them<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n Our food system \u2014 including changes in land use linked to agriculture \u2014 is currently responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Meat and dairy production alone already releases as much greenhouse gas emissions as the transport sector<\/span>.<\/span> If we do nothing, by 2050 gas emissions from the food system will represent over half of the total global emissions associated with human activities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n The effect of meat and dairy production on biodiversity is also staggering. Since 1970, the Earth has lost half of its wildlife but tripled its livestock population. <\/span>Intensive meat and dairy production is a major driver of deforestation, dead zones in the oceans, and degradation of freshwater bodies globally.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Perhaps most insidious is this: increasing meat and dairy production and consumption is behind a latent global health crisi<\/span>s. High red meat consumption has been linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. <\/span>Industrial animal agriculture is also associated with antimicrobial resistance \u2014 which the World Health Organization declared a \u201cglobal health emergency\u201d \u2014 and is a significant source of foodborne pathogens. Millions of lives could be saved each year if people had better access to a diet rich in plant-based foods.<\/span><\/p>\n\n This strong scientific evidence must translate into global action. Greenpeace <\/span>will work alongside farmers to heal our planet and its people by standing up to industrial meat and dairy to create a global food system that is fair and sustainable for farmers and the environment. <\/span>We call on governments to end policies that support industrial meat and dairy production and instead help farmers shift towards ecological farming. We also urge governments to make healthy, plant-based foods more available and call on people around the world to join the movement for less meat and dairy and a healthier planet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Download the full report: Less Is More: Greenpeace vision of the meat and dairy system towards 2050<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n