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G20 carbon 'food-print' highest in meat-loving nations: report

28 Comments
By Marlowe HOOD

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© 2020 AFP

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"The current pandemic has highlighted just how broken our food system is," said Loken. "The food that we eat and how we produce it are also key drivers in the emergence of deadly viruses such as the one that leads to COVID-19."

Dunno about this guy but the food I am eating hasn't had any covid virus , not sure how my fillet steaks lead to the emergence of this virus, and if we all ate rice fruit and nuts there wouldn't be enough rice fruit and nuts left for the fruits n nuts to eat would there.

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

Seriously meat contains protein and is what humans have been eating for 1,000s of years, now they saying we can't eat it, how about humans stop producing idiots. It would reduce the population at least.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

I knew this was eventually going to happen, the day is finally here and I have to say from the bat, I'll never give up meat, No matter what. Love to eat, buy and hunt and that won't change. The Vegans can enjoy their Tofu or Aloe Steaks, not this American.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

I knew this was eventually going to happen, the day is finally here and I have to say from the bat, I'll never give up meat, No matter what. Love to eat, buy and hunt and that won't change.

Meat is not the problem. Agriculture accounts for a small portion of greenhouse gasses, factory emissions are much more a problem.

That said, factory farming in its current format is horrendous, and needs refinement.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Dunno about this guy but the food I am eating hasn't had any covid virus

It's not really about the food having the virus, but the animals having the virus which is then transmitted by other means, and then from human to human, not via your plate. Good grief.

Seriously meat contains protein

So does a lot of other foods like vegetables and beans, legumes. Meat also contains a lot of other stuff like saturated fat. Add to that, god knows how much antibiotics, chlorine, hormones, etc. China is now seeing a high increase in obesity and other problems like heart disease and diabetes - along with an increase in consumption of meat and dairy products. Too much protein from meat sources will cause a lot of problems - it will catch up with you sooner or later. The ethical concerns are another story - the animals in factory farms aren't exactly having the time of their lives.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

A chance to reduce your intake of meat, not necessarily give it up but treat it as a luxury. Long term, we get to save the future for the generations that come next.

It's a wonderful thing when humanity works together, over the desires of selfish individuals.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Pukey this covid didn't come from cows, handled correctly meat is fine.

Salads can also carry and spread disease and sickness if you like to consider things at the same time.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

I understand, but other people can do what they want, I just won't give up meat. It may be selfish, but I need and eat it everyday. I also bodybuild, so no other protein source and bulk me up as much as red meat.

That said, factory farming in its current format is horrendous, and needs refinement.

I wouldn't disagree on that one.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

I just won't give up meat. It may be selfish, but I need and eat it everyday. I also bodybuild, so no other protein source and bulk me up as much as red meat.

It is selfish.

Ah, the American First, eh. They eat and spew bull, and sod the consequences.

I love meat as much as the next person, but have cut down on it lately.

Every little bit helps.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

The average human doesn’t much protein these days as we no longer have to chase prey for hours on end

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The lows that the selfish far right stoop to, have no depths.

By your measure, anyone right of Antifa is far right, so the attempted slur is meaningless.

And who said I'm against conserving the environment? I fully support the ensuring a safer future for forthcoming generations, just not the way the UN wants to do it. There are other options, you know.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

It is selfish. 

I don’t think so, it’s selfish demanding a typical liberal trait, do as I say or else.

I love meat as much as the next person, but have cut down on it lately. 

Well, that’s your choice, I made a different choice for myself and that ain’t no bull!

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

That said, factory farming in its current format is horrendous, and needs refinement.

Most definitely agreed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The ill effects of meat, both on individual health and on the environment, are the result of factory farming. 

Last week, I visited a farm in Vermont that produces lean, delicious beef. They feed their cattle 90% grass, and move them to a new field every two or three hours. As for soil sustainability, they are operating at 106%--that means they are actually sequestering carbon and building topsoil. And the cows don't produce volumes of methane.

The reason this works is that cows are meant to eat grass and clover, not corn, and grass thrives on cow ****.

We don't need to stop eating beef, we need to change how we raise it.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

We don't need to stop eating beef, we need to change how we raise it.

i agree with you there. Grass-fed beef is the way it should be, and the way it mostly is in Australia. The balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats is way off in corn-fed beef, which helps to cause inflammation in joints and organs.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I never thought that farting cows would be one of the top 5 concerns at any point in my lifetime.

Welcome to 2020, this year cannot be over soon enough.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Earlier research has calculated that an overhaul of the global food system could unleash trillions of dollars each year in new business opportunities, and save even more in reduced damages to people's health and the planet.

Part 2 of AFP’s Marlowe Hood’s carbon “Footprint” will focus not on the average citizens of the G20, but instead, point the finger at the corporate “global families”, asking why are they using slave/cheap labor in third world nations, and questioning whether it’s a good idea to intentionally raise the living standards of these nations knowing full well that it will increase their carbon “footprint”, instead of letting them develop on their own. Using China as an example.

invalid CSRF

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So very much denial out there.

On the one hand if I point out that some people need meat because their bodies cannot metabolize vitamin A any other way, the vegetarians and vegans will have a fit.

On the other hand if I point out that the meat industry has gone so far overboard with profit incentive that they abuse animals to the point the animals are so sick they are destroying the planet, the meat eaters and capitalists will have a fit.

The Avenger is completely correct. But the maturity to listen is a rare precious gift these days.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sounds like some one at the UN been talking too much cow ****. Again as usual.

Humans consuming animals is nature so these UN vegan nuts now telling us Nature is at odds with Nature, hang on a minute have they just jumped the shark once too often ?

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Interesting foto at the end of the article as to who are the G20.

Essentially it means We better change our habits.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

So blame the beef steaks, but do you know goats are worse on the enviroment, cant see the mulahs listening to the stop eating goats rhetoric for very long, .

If the Cows are fed and farmed properly as they should be like in fed on grass in open paddocks NZ Australia then they produce much higher quality food and create less damage, so look at the places where the animals are kept in sheds and fix that end of it., Or do we all end up eating indonesian food , insects rice rats dogs n things?

More flawed stupid thinking from the UN , its obvious its filled with dumber than brick .

Have they stopped wars, solved world pvert, housed the homelss reduced world hunger saved the children or just filled their own pockets with cash, ask your self,.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

More flawed stupid thinking from the UN

Calm down. Everything they said is true. I think you are thinking they said things they didn't. Nowhere did in this article did they say we all need to give up meat. But two things are clear. One is that greed has ensured the meat industry is totally irresponsible and so are the people who pay them to eat their irresponsibly created product. Talk is cheap and until action is taken against the irresponsibility nobody wants to listen to bluster. The second thing that is clear is that meat is inefficient use of space. The farm land being used to fatten up cows could feed many times more people. Over-population may make us actually need to give up meat totally.

Have they stopped wars, solved world pvert, housed the homelss reduced world hunger saved the children

Has the U.S. paid its bill or ceded enough power for the U.N. to actually take action on anything? The U.N. is hamstrung and not by their choice.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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