{"id":60051,"date":"2023-05-30T17:33:42","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T15:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=60051"},"modified":"2024-12-16T18:30:31","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T17:30:31","slug":"you-need-meat-and-dairy-says-the-meat-and-dairy-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/60051\/you-need-meat-and-dairy-says-the-meat-and-dairy-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"You need meat and dairy (says the meat and dairy industry)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sorry, vegans: a major health organisation says that meat, eggs and milk are vital sources of much-needed nutrients<\/a>, even that a diet composed of meat, eggs and milk is healthier than plant-based foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

These are indeed the headlines you could expect after the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) issued a report <\/a>on the benefits and risks associated with the consumption of animal products. Not only the media, but also the livestock sector<\/a>, who jumped on this new opportunity to promote meat and dairy products.<\/p>\n\n

\"Antibiotic
Stylised images shot by Greenpeace Austria after the revelation of test results which showed that 36 % of pork sold in Austrian supermarkets is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant germs which pose a significant health risk for humans.
\u00a9 Mitja Kobal \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

What does this FAO report actually says?<\/h2>\n\n

The FAO report<\/a> looked at hundreds of studies and policy papers. It argues that macro-nutrients such as protein, fats and carbohydrates and micro-nutrients are difficult to obtain from plant based foods in the required quality and quantity<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The authors warn that these nutrients have important health and development functions. Their conclusion: meat, eggs and milk are an essential source of nutrients especially for most vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n\n

\"Documentation
October 2021, Greenpeace Spain activists enter one of the largest pig farms in the country and document serious scenes of neglected animals conditions and lack of hygiene. The Cefusa facility (El Pozo – Grupo Fuertes) in Castill\u00e9jar, Granada, Spain, is the pig farm that emits the most methane and ammonia in the country.
\u00a9 Pedro Armestre \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Is it true that we can\u2019t do without meat, eggs, and milk? <\/h2>\n\n

So, is it true that meat, eggs and milk contain nutritional properties that cannot be obtained from foods of plant origin? Short answer based on this FAO report: we don\u2019t know. There is simply no guarantee that the messages are derived from independent, unbiased science. That was also the conclusion of a Belgian nutritionist and defender of evidence-based medicine who tried to fact check the claim<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

When the meat and dairy industries hold the pen<\/h2>\n\n

But if it sounds like the livestock sector was holding the pen, that\u2019s no coincidence. The report text has been reviewed by organisations such as the Global Dairy Platform, International Dairy Federation, International Meat Secretariat, International Natural Sausage Casing Association and International Poultry Council.

In addition, one of the writers who prepared sections of the report as well as some members of the multidisciplinary scientific advisory committee guiding the preparation of the assessment are also signatories to the Dublin Declaration<\/a>. This pro-meat manifesto<\/a> goes in the opposite direction of the scientific research and evidence related to the benefits of eating less meat (especially in high consuming regions)<\/a>, and the necessity of reducing the number of animals for the planet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\n

This week, several outlets reported on hundreds of \u201cworld scientists\u201d highlighting the importance of meat eating.

A closer look reveals that most signees have ties to the livestock sector and come from countries in the Global North.\ud83d\udc47 1\/13
\ud83d\udcd3Spreadsheet: https:\/\/t.co\/lz0IQm2h7y<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/1LkYBeTntF<\/a><\/p>— Sentient (@Sentient_Media) May 4, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>