UN report eating less red meat does not have the greatest emissions reduction potential min read

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reports that increasing the productivity of livestock has a greater global emissions reduction potential than reducing meat consumption.

The FAO’s 2023 Pathways towards lower emissions report included a global assessment of the GHG emissions and mitigation options from livestock agrifood systems on low-emission pathways and ranked the interventions most likely to be effective in reducing emissions by 2050.

Top ranking interventions/changes included livestock productivity increases (20% reduction in potential GHG emissions) and feed and nutrition improvements (12% reduction in potential GHG emissions) while the reduction of meat consumption only had 4% reduction.