The Lancet and the “planet-saving” diet, Greenpeace responds

A new major study from the EAT-Lancet Commission confirms Greenpeace’s call from March last year to significantly cut global meat and dairy consumption in favour of plant-based alternatives. The EAT-Lancet study involved 37 scientific experts from 16 countries over a three-year period.

Reyes Tirado, Senior Research Scientist, Greenpeace Research Laboratory, University of Exeter, said:

“When 37 international health experts join forces to inform global citizens and decision makers about the the seriousness of the grim climate and health impacts of global meat and dairy production and intake, we should all listen very carefully. A 50% cut of meat in our diets, and higher drastic cuts of 70-90% in some countries in Western Europe or North America is surely not an easy thing to realise, but nevertheless this is where we are  after decades of overconsumption and a global climate agreement we need to honour in order to solve our current climate crisis.”

“We support the opportunity raised by proposing a meat tax to open the public discourse on this issue of meat and dairy production and consumption. However, it must to be combined with the abolishment of direct and indirect public subsidies to industrial meat production while shifting this support towards healthy, ecological, plant-based farming available and accessible for all groups of society.”

“Cities are bulk buyers of food and can significantly help shift our food system towards more sustainability and more healthy diets. That is why we encourage decision makers all over the globe to support cities in transitioning towards purchasing more plant-based foods from small-scale ecological farmers instead of industrial meat companies for the meals they serve in schools and beyond.”