The Guardian view on meat: we need to eat less of it

‘Ever since red and processed meat was linked to an increased risk of cancer a decade ago, people have been advised to limit their daily consumption of these to a maximum of 70g.’ Photograph: Alamy

The publication of a major study linking habitual eating of processed and red meat to a greater risk of type 2 diabetes is the latest very good reason to think hard about what we consume. Rising obesity rates, food poverty and concerns about the seemingly unstoppable rise of ultra-processed and junk food mean British eating habits are a longstanding source of widespread concern. Many people also recognise that there are environmental reasons to change their diets. Meat and dairy are the most carbon-intensive foods by far. Most of us should eat less of them. But the messaging around this continues to be poor.

Ever since red and processed meat was linked to an increased risk of cancer a decade ago, people have been advised to limit their daily consumption of these to a maximum of 70g. But while the “five a day” fruit and vegetables campaign turns 21 this year, and warnings about excess sugar abound, other government guidelines on food remain vague. While they specify two weekly portions of fish, one of which should be oily, about meat they say only “eat some”. There are no recommendations as to how much white meat should be consumed.

This is unhelpful, but also revealing. The national food strategy, commissioned by ministers in 2021, warned that a significant section of the public feel strongly about meat-based meals. Drawing on research with a focus group, its authors observed that there is “something culturally sacred” about staples such as a plate of bangers and the Sunday roast. For this reason, the strategy rejected the idea of a meat tax as a means of incentivising lower-carbon diets, on the grounds of its likely unpopularity. But meat-eating has gone down all the same. In 2022, people in the UK ate less meat at home than at any time since records began in the 1970s – and 14% less than in 2012. Part of this decline is due to cost of living pressures, and proof of the difficulties that households face in affording food bills. But this is not the whole story, since richer households have cut back as well as poorer ones, and veganism has gained in popularity.

Nevertheless, the idea of a protein transition has not caught on in the way that the energy transition has, and it needs to be talked about if targets are to be reached. Three-quarters of the world’s farmland is used to graze animals or produce crops to feed them, and this activity is responsible for 12% to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Some experts are concerned about the lack of focus on meat in the UN’s climate plans.

In the UK, the Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on policies to meet net zero, has proposed a 35% reduction in meat per person by 2050. The national food strategy recommended a 30% reduction over 10 years. But having commissioned the review, Boris Johnson disregarded it – and also postponed restrictions on junk food advertising (as did Rishi Sunak).

The current government will have to be bolder on food policy. Lab-grown meat is one possible answer; in July the UK became the first European country to approve its use, initially in pet food. Methane-reducing feed additives are also being developed. Ministers can influence the food served in schools and other public institutions. South Korea and Japan both have lower obesity rates than other developed countries, and policies promoting healthier food have played a role in this. But diet is also an area where the public can make a difference, by choosing alternatives to red meat and dairy products.