Meat Consumption is a Major Contributor to Food's Carbon Footprint

Food’s carbon footprint is the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from the initial stages of food production to its disposal. Globally, food production generates 13.7 billion metric tons of GHG emissions.

Four sectors contribute to GHG emissions in food production: livestock and fisheries (31%), crop production (27%), land use for agriculture (24%), and the food supply chain (18%).

According to Our World in Data, beef has a significant contribution to the food carbon footprint. One kilogram (kg) of beef can produce 60 kg of GHG emissions (kgCO2e).

The next largest contributors to GHG emissions from food products are sheep and goats. One kilogram of sheep and goat meat produces 24 kgCO2e.

One kilogram of cheese and dairy cattle each produce 21 kgCO2e. One kilogram of chocolate produces 19 kgCO2e.

GHG emissions threaten the Earth and human life. They can lead to extreme increases in global temperature, changes in food chain production, the spread of diseases, and damage to marine ecosystems.

To reduce GHG emissions from food, people need to limit their consumption of animal products like meat and cheese. They can find alternative food sources from plants, such as legumes, grains, and mushrooms.