Gobbling meat is fueling a climate crisis. Here’s how to cut back

However, the tradition of centering the celebratory meal on a decadent meat dish isn’t unique to any poultry-centric American holiday; it is common during Christmas, Easter, Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, Passover and Lunar New Year. .

“Meat is closely related to many things traditions and festivals“, he says Emma GarnettPostdoctoral researcher studying behavior change and sustainable diets at the University of Oxford. And even outside of the belly-drying holiday meals, he says meat-eating has become too much.

In industrialized countries like the USApeople often consume more meat than recommended by dietary guidelines. Scientific data now overwhelmingly show that this is not the case bad for people’s health, but also for the planet. “Food systems are in charge one third of greenhouse gas emissionsit’s terrible”, he says Stacy Blondin, Fellow in Behavioral Sciences at the World Resources Institute. In addition, the production, transport and consumption of animal-based foods are particularly the main source of food-related emissions.

Some of the food with the highest emissions comes from cows and other ruminant animals that roam across acres of land. leaking methane a powerful greenhouse gas in their unique digestive process. Compared to plant proteins, including beans and legumes, for example, beef is 20 times more discharge of protein per edible gram.

That means changing diets on a scale moving away from meat-based meals to rural-based meals can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. according to a study published in Nature Climate Change in August, if the entire world were to adopt a mostly plant-based diet, current annual dietary emission levels It would decrease by about 17% Compared to 2019 levels.

But changing what people eat is not easy. Many personal emotions and personalities are wrapped up in food. There can also be stigma attached to people who don’t eat a lot of meat, as well as misinformation about plant-based diets, for example. false claims that they can’t provide enough protein or that can of soy but feminized.

There has been an explosion of research and experimentation into what can get people to make this switch. Here are several strategies that are already making a difference.

It pushes towards greener food

Giving plant-based meals extra visibility and marketing on shelves, tables and menus can make a big difference. is one of many popular techniques Menus of Change was embraced by members of the University Research Collaborative. The 33 organizations participating in the coalition promoted plant-based meals in campus cafeterias. 23% collective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions For every kilo of food purchased between 2019 and 2023. Now the group has a bigger goal: to reduce emissions per kilo of food by 40% by 2030.

Some restaurants have even tweaked their menus so that plant-based options come first or are highlighted as “chef’s specials” or “dishes of the day.” Meanwhile, some restaurants have offered discounts or promotions on plant-based meals, or have used more friendly language to describe plant-based dishes.

googleFor example, he said, changing some of the plant-based dishes in employee cafeterias to descriptions like “Wine Simmered French Vegetable Medley Soup” led to a significant increase in their use.

These unconscious processes drive our behavior much more than conscious reasoning, he says Chris de Meyerneuroscientist and director of the UCL Climate Action Unit. “If our environment changes, then our behavior will change accordingly,” he says.

Meatless days

One of the most popular approaches to getting people to reduce their meat consumption is to include special days or months to eliminate it from a person’s diet.

Veganuary, a UK non-profit campaign to encourage people to go vegan by January, has seen a steady increase in sign-ups since it started a decade ago. It’s smart because people use the month of the year when they’re open to reviewing their lifestyle for the sake of health. according to a study Courtesy of the University of Bath. A study of “Meatless Monday” participants found that one in five became a vegetarian or vegan after five years.

The success of Veganuary is also due to the positive social pressure created by the knowledge that thousands of other people are giving up meat and dairy for the month. However, there are some limitations. Trying to convince people to go vegan solely for environmental reasons could backfire, or be seen as too preachy. “You’re going to turn people off with that kind of argument, and you’re going to drive them away,” says De Meyer.

Just eat less

Some people may already be eating less meat without realizing it. Some eateries, restaurants and markets are using mixing techniques: making meatballs or burgers with a mixture of minced meat and vegetables. In several laboratory and dining room experiments where diners were asked to rate the taste of mixed meals, people often said the dishes were “the same if not better” than the classic meat versions, WRI’s Blondin says. “It’s one of the few techniques that promotes meat preservation while incorporating plant-rich ingredients.”

In the UK, meat consumption rates are already falling among some groups as people cut back on meal portions, it said. a recently published study in the magazine Nature Food. The amount of meat Britons eat has fallen by more than 15% between 2008 and 2019, according to research.

The wider reasons for this change in the UK are unclear. However, the lead author of the paper, Alexander Vonderschmidta dietician and a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh suggested it could be a mix of things, including rising cost of living, health concerns and environmental concerns.

Make plants taste good

Finally, the best way to encourage a greener diet is to make plant-based options as good as meat options.

Denmark launched a major $100 million plan this year to increase the availability of tasty plant-based food across the country, promoting initiatives such as a degree program for vegetarian chefs. It also supports several other programs to reduce the meat consumption of Danes by encouraging various experiments.

In the US, Menus of Change is the University Research Collaborative crowdsourcing “Cooking techniques, menu concepts, recipes” from chefs from participating organizations to improve the taste of plant-based foods, says group co-director Sophie Egan. Relatedly, the Culinary Institute of America offers 19 courses online Plant-Forward Kitchen Training and Certification program to prepare sweet and savory plant-based dishes for food service workers.

“If the food doesn’t taste good,” says Blondin, “no matter how much you discount it or promote it or put it in people’s faces, they won’t want to eat it.”