19th October 2026
‘Carbon, Cows and Climate Change’
In this chapter Goulson focuses on the carbon footprint of different foods. Research clearly shows that beef has the largest footprint, and that of all the foods we eat, it is almost always those that are plant based that have the lowest. Having explored the whys and wherefore, he concludes “there is no question that livestock farming as practiced up to the present has resulted in vast deforestation, air and water pollution, and soil erosion, and contributed hugely to greenhouse gas emissions…there is no scenario in which livestock are carbon neutral.” Further he notes “More than 75% of the world’s agricultural land is devoted to rearing animals, yet they contribute just 18- of our calories and 37% of our protein intake. Growing crops to feed animals to feed people is a hugely inefficient way of feeding people, and there simply isn’t the space on our planet for us all to have a meat-rich diet.” (P39 Eat the Planet Well Dave Goulson)
His conclusion is that we shouldn’t eat meat from animal that have been mass-reared indoors or in crowded feedlots but rather should choose outdoor reared meat and eat less meat.
There are various ways of eating less meat such as meat-free Mondays, or meat-free weekdays. The former has its own website! https://meatfreemondays.com/calculator/
And enticing looking recipes – https://meatfreemondays.com/our-recipes/
