WWF report: Strategies for reducing the climate impacts of red meat/dairy consumption

This report, "Strategies for reducing the climate impacts of red meat/dairy consumption in the UK", reflects the findings of an investigation into possible strategies for reducing red meat and dairy consumption in the UK in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the food sector, with particular focus on the role of the multiple grocery retailers.

Summary
Our analysis of the policy and business context points to multiple initiatives relating to environment and sustainability across the various players in the red meat and dairy food chain, but that they tend to be related to single and ‘emblematic’ issues, such as organic, animal welfare or fair trade and do not go far enough, or fast enough to tackle climate change effectively. Meanwhile, consumer adoption of environmental behaviours is also slow and centres on easy and convenient actions. A recent DEFRA report showed that adopting a “low impact diet” was the action people were least likely to do out of twelve possible pro-environmental behaviours, even though they were able to make the changes easily. But since there is currently no vision of what a “sustainable diet” should be in the UK, it may be difficult for people to understand and act on what is meant by a “low impact diet”. This is complicated by the crowded and often conflicting range of communications about diet, such that ‘people are confused about what foods they can eat.’ Historically, the emphasis by policy makers and consumers alike in relation to food has been on weight management. We see a need to integrate nutritional and environmental messages, rather than have them compete. 

Our research into consumer attitudes illustrates that both red meat and dairy are core products in the diet and lives of British people, with long standing associations of goodness, pleasure and natural health. At the same time, and paradoxically, there are growing numbers of consumers who, for perceived health reasons, are attempting to reduce their intake of meat and dairy. Meanwhile, top down consumption analysis indicates that people eat more than is required or recommended according to the government’s Eat Well plate, with over-consumption of 98 % for red meat, and 44% for dairy (app. 11.1). This implies that, together with supply chain improvements, we could reduce consumption by enough to achieve the 2020 GHG emissions targets twice over without any nutritional deficit, if we could persuade consumers to change their eating patterns in line with current government guidelines. To meet 2050 targets we would need a combination of technological advances and consumption reduction. 

In addition, we evaluated a range of product and occasion based levers to reduce consumption of red meat and dairy and prioritised them for impact and do-ability. This analysis illustrates that the options that provide the biggest potential saving are the increased availability of non meat/dairy substitutes and more widespread control of portion size in meat-based ready meals. In fact, the combination of all our suggested changes more than meets the long term GHG emissions “gap” with a potential saving of 18MT GWP CO₂e in 2050, versus the requirement of 5.7MT CO₂e. Moreover, our top three consumer actions alone would also fill the “gap” such that the combined action of these and technological changes could meet the 70% reduction target for 2050. From a retailer point of view, red meat and dairy are core revenue streams and, for several, these categories are key to the brand ‘offer’. As a result, retailers are reluctant to reduce consumption amongst their customer base. This is not to say that climate change and the environment is not a concern as many are already taking significant steps to reduce the environmental impact of their stores, office operations and logistics, with initiatives to improve energy efficiency, and reduce or eliminate landfill waste. Indeed most retailers source the large majority of their red meat and dairy products from British farmers and have programmes of collaboration around what they refer to as “sustainable farming”. However, the primary focus to date has been on farm assurance or issues of animal welfare. If the UK is to achieve reduction in these food categories, we believe that retailers have a key role to play.

For more information see here.

See here for a presentation by the research director of the International Livestock Research Institute on global trends in meat and dairy consumption, some useful slides on growth projections and some thoughts on mitigating emissions.