Meat companies should do more harm to the climate than the oil industry – top News

US study warns of global expansion of meat production. This would not be consistent with the agreed greenhouse gas reduction targets. If the industry continues to grow at the current rate, all livestock will consume about 80% of the global greenhouse gas budget by 2050.

The five largest producers of greenhouse gases The world's meat and dairy products are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions. This comparison is drawn from a new study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) of the United States with the Grain Environmental Organization. "Together, the five largest meat and dairy companies are already responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions per year than the oil companies Exxon-Mobil, Shell or BP," concludes Süddeutsche Zeitung ( SZ). "If the industry continues to grow at the current rate, all livestock will consume about 80% of the planet's greenhouse gas budget by 2050," says the report. shows the key role of these companies in climate change. Head of the IATP Institute Facing the SZ

Brazil's largest meat company, JBS, tops the list of the largest producers of CO₂ in the study, followed by three US companies: Tyson Foods , Cargill and Dairy Farmers The largest dairy company in Germany, DMK, is ranked 21st, the Tönnies meat company, 24th.

The Mac Critical Study the fact that a large portion of companies put far too low values ​​in their CO₂ balances. "Most of the 35 largest meat and dairy companies do not report their greenhouse gas emissions or exclude emissions in the supply chain," the report says. But these accounted for 80-90% of their total emissions. Only four companies reported complete and traceable emission data: Nestlé (Switzerland), Danone (France), Friesland / Campina (Netherlands) and NH Foods (Japan).

The study's authors mainly formulate their criticisms on the expansion policy of the Brazilian meat company JBS. JBS had promised its investors that global meat consumption would increase by 30 percent on average by 2030, from 37 to 48 kilograms of meat per capita. "If world meat production were increased to 48 kg per capita, it would be impossible to deter global temperatures from reaching dangerous levels," the study authors criticize.

At the 2015 climate summit in Paris, countries insisted agreed to limit the increase in global average temperature to a maximum of two, better still 1.5 degrees Celsius. The food sector must also contribute and reduce emissions, depending on the country. The exact objectives and mandatory guidelines for companies and agriculture do not exist. Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace are calling for a reduction in global meat consumption to 22 kilograms by 2030 and even 16 kilos per person by 2050.