TThe publication of a major study linking regular consumption of processed and red meat to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes is the latest very good reason to think hard about our consumption habits. Rising obesity rates, food poverty and worries about the seemingly unstoppable rise of ultra-processed and junk food mean that Brits’ eating habits have long been a cause for widespread concern. Many people are also realising that there are environmental reasons to change their diets. Meat and dairy are by far the most carbon-intensive foods. Most of us should eat less of them. But the message on this remains poor.
Since the link between red and processed meat and an increased risk of cancer was established ten years ago, people have been advised to limit their daily consumption to a maximum of 70 grams. But while the “five a day” fruit and veg campaign turns 21 this year and warnings about excessive sugar consumption are everywhere, other government guidelines on food remain vague. While they prescribe two weekly portions of fish, one of which should be fatty, for meat they simply say “eat some of that”. There are no recommendations on how much white meat to eat.
While this is unhelpful, it is also telling. The national nutrition strategy commissioned by ministers in 2021 warned that a significant proportion of the public have strong attitudes towards meat-based meals. Based on focus group research, the authors found that there is “something culturally sacred” about staple foods such as a plate of sausages and the Sunday roast. For this reason, the strategy rejected the idea of a meat tax as a way to encourage lower-carbon diets, arguing that it was likely to be unpopular. But meat consumption has fallen nonetheless. In 2022, people in the UK ate less meat at home than at any time since records began in the 1970s – and 14% less than in 2012. Some of this decline is due to cost of living pressures, and shows how difficult it is for households to pay their food bills. But that’s not the whole story, as richer households have been saving just as much as poorer ones, and veganism has gained popularity.
Still, the idea of a protein transition has not taken off like the energy transition, and it needs to be talked about if we want to achieve the goals. Three-quarters of the world’s arable land is used to graze animals or grow crops to feed them, and this activity is responsible for 12 to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Some experts are concerned that meat does not play a major role in the UN’s climate plans.
In the UK, the Committee on Climate Change, which advises the government on carbon neutrality targets, has proposed a 35% reduction in meat consumption per person by 2050. The National Nutrition Strategy recommended a 30% reduction over 10 years. But Boris Johnson, who commissioned the review, ignored it – and (like Rishi Sunak) also postponed restrictions on junk food advertising.
The current government needs to be bolder on food policy. One possible answer is lab-grown meat; in July the UK became the first European country to authorise its use, initially in animal feed. And feed additives to reduce methane are currently being developed. Ministers can influence diets in schools and other public settings. South Korea and Japan both have lower obesity rates than other developed countries, and policies promoting healthier food have played a role in this. But diet is also an area where the public can make a difference by choosing alternatives to red meat and dairy.
