The WWF has urged British farmers to reduce meat and dairy production by a third over the next ten years to fulfill scientific recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to the sheer imported feed, the UK’s pig and poultry herds may need to be reduced even further. The organization cautioned that people will need to eat far less meat than they do now. (Ambien)
According to the report, this would lead to decreased greenhouse gas emissions, a more diverse wildlife landscape, and improved health.
Tanya Steele, the WWF’s chief executive, stated that when it comes to the twin dangers of climate change and natural loss, agriculture and land use cannot be overlooked. Many farmers in the United Kingdom are already attempting to produce food sustainably. But they cannot solve a broken system on their own.
Two of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions are the methane produced by animals and the carbon linked with the feed they consume. According to the WWF, the UK should cut its soy imports by a fifth by 2030, as it leads to deforestation and the overuse of fertilizers in other countries.
Air pollution also happens by ammonia from livestock waste, which the government vowed to alleviate.
Farmers, on the other hand, argue that animal production in the UK is less carbon-intensive than alternatives in other countries.
Nutritious meat, dairy products and environmental, climate advantages
As per Stuart Roberts, Deputy President of the National Farmers Union, UK farmers can continue domestic food production. Thereby, including the provision of nutritious meat and dairy products, while also achieving the required environmental and climate advantages.
More than 90% of UK households still prefer to buy high-quality red meat and cheese. That’s why British products are typically the most sustainable alternative, he continued.
According to him, the UK’s climate is ideal for the production of beef and dairy products, with emissions in the UK being less than half of those in the rest of the globe.
He claimed that reducing sustainable production would just export the country’s carbon footprint to other nations that did not fulfill its stringent environmental standards. Thereby, posing a risk to food imports.
Agriculture is responsible for only 10% of CO2 emissions in the UK, according to George Dunn. He is the chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association. Transport and energy account for more than half of the UK’s emissions.
Post- Brexit trade arrangements
The Soil Association’s director of food and policy, Rob Percival, suggested that British households reduce their meat consumption while purchasing higher-quality meat.
He believes that grazing cattle is beneficial to soil health and the environment. But a significant reduction in poultry production is also a requirement. This is because cheap chicken production pollutes rivers in the United Kingdom. It also causes deforestation in South America due to imported soy.
He compelled the government to oppose post-Brexit trade arrangements. They would allow low-wage food with a large carbon impact to enter the country.
Another important concern is food waste, which the WWF estimates must reduce by half by 2030. Households made significant success in reducing food waste during the COVID-19 lockdowns. But supermarket rejection of “imperfect” yet edible food is a major cause of food waste.
Another recommendation in the report was to utilize precise techniques to decrease the usage of artificial fertilizers and to avoid using nitrogen fertilizers if possible.