Greenpeace called on the government to prioritise reducing meat and dairy consumption in its new food strategy report, set to come out in June.
The organisation claimed the way to feed more people, lower food prices and build resilience out of multiple crises, is to stop wasting land and crops to feed animals for meat and dairy.
Greenpeace said it is ‘essential’ that the food strategy is underpinned by a government target to reduce meat and dairy production and consumption by 70% by 2030, as well as helping to deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
Greenpeace listed specific policies to get on track to deliver this fairly and affordably, which include, increasing support for farmers, increasing the amount of healthy, plant-based food accessible to the public and committing to making all UK food imports meet the minimum UK food and farming standards.
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“Our long term food security relies on a healthy natural environment and resilient soils, with wide reductions in agro-chemicals, a 70% cut in meat and dairy production and consumption by 2030, and land used efficiently to produce healthy, largely plant-based food for people, rather than grains for animal feed or crops for biofuels,” Greenpeace UK head of politics Rebecca Newsom said.
“To achieve this, land that can grow food directly for people should be used for that purpose, and much more financial and technical support is needed for farmers to transition to sustainable methods.
“Government support for low-income households should be increased in line with inflation at a minimum, alongside extensive purchase of plant-based food in schools, hospitals and prisons.
“These changes are vital to help reduce costs for sustainable food over time and make food poverty a thing of the past.”
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