It’s time to rethink animal agriculture
Governments can and should stop subsidizing factory farming and the crops that fatten up factory-farmed animals for slaughter. Instead, governments can and should shift subsidies to encourage the production of more climate-neutral, protein-rich crops.
PAUL GILDING: ‘In mid-July, as a brutal drought decimated crops, some European dairy and meat farmers were forced to cull their herds early to reduce the number of animals they needed to feed… That is why now is the right time to start a serious conversation about animal agriculture. The animal agriculture industry is not only vulnerable to the observed and predicted effects of climate change; it is also a key contributor to the problem.
In fact, the farming of animals for meat and dairy products accounts for 16.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions… Beyond climate pollution, a staggering 60 percent of all biodiversity loss is attributable to land-use changes from animal cultivation, and as much as 80 percent of all land in farming is devoted either to raising animals or to growing their feed. There is also the stubborn reality that eating so many animals is making us less healthy…
I am not suggesting that everyone should become vegetarian or vegan (though it is indisputable that these diets are better for the environment, contribute less to climate change and are healthier). Nor do I think that governments should mandate limits on meat consumption. But for policymakers who accept that there is little downside and significant upside for most people in developed countries to reduce their meat intake, there are plenty of cost-effective solutions to nudge us in that direction.
For starters, governments can — and should — stop subsidizing factory farming and the crops that fatten up factory-farmed animals for slaughter. By supporting polluting and inhumane practices, countries are literally paying companies to undermine the emissions targets set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Instead, governments can — and should — shift subsidies to encourage the production of more climate-neutral, protein-rich crops, like pulses and other legumes’. SOURCE…
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