Stephen Cadogan: Why your farm’s carbon footprint is so important
However, as different scientists came up with contradicting results, it became clear that it is very difficult to draw reliable conclusions from studying the effect of food on long-term health.
Now, the US government says protein needs can come from a variety of sources, including a hamburger or hot dog, while adult consumers should eat at least eight ounces of cooked seafood per week.
Dairy at every meal is recommended.
The Harvard School of Public Health disagrees, but not strongly, advising “limited” red meat consumption and avoidance of processed meat, and recommends limiting milk and dairy to one to two servings per day.
Meanwhile, the beef and dairy industries live on, thriving in many countries, such as Ireland — proof of the enjoyment which billions of consumers get from their products.
However, the livestock-based industries are under attack from scientists again.
This time, they seem even better organised than before, even coming up with a catchy slogan, the “four-degree diet”, to sum up their grievances.
In summary, they say the livestock sector contributes 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (about the same as transport emissions), and unless that is reined in, the consequences of global warming will include drowning low-lying parts of the world. It comes as a big shock to beef and dairy farmers that they could together bring about “cataclysmic” climate change.
However, scientists have the answer. Keep meat consumption in emerging and developing countries considerably below Western levels, and the world will muddle through, by “decarbonising” the energy sector.
That will keep the rise in global temperatures within two degrees, averting dangerous climate change. But allow the Western diet to becomes the norm by 2050, and even with cleaner energy and ambitious action in other areas, we are doomed by a global temperature rise of four degrees.
There’s no time to lose for scientists, because meat consumption in emerging and developing economies is rising rapidly, and China, Brazil and India are among the world’s largest and fastest growing meat-eating countries.
Scientists hope decarbonisation is accompanied by a push to curb emissions-intensive meat consumption, thus keeping the global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees, for the best chance of avoiding drastic climate impacts.
They say their first step will be to raise public awareness of the impact of dietary choices on our environment.
Should Irish livestock farmers be worried? They can at least point to Bord Bia’s good work in establishing the carbon footprint of each farm.
It is only in Ireland that most cattle farmers can use the carbon navigator to improve their environmental and economic performance.
