what is the environmental footprint of the meat we eat?

The agricultural sector must halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, compared to 2015. To achieve this objective, it is possible to put in place better agricultural practices which will, for example, reduce methane from ruminants or by doing more extensive farming. There may be beneficial effects for our environment.

>> Climate: should the number of cows in France be reduced to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Tuesday, May 30, Elisabeth Borne recalled that “every year grasslands store eight million tonnes of CO2” so these are elements to take into account, but new practices will perhaps make it possible to go a quarter or a third of the way, explains Thomas Bonvillain, researcher at the institute of economics for the climate, but that will not be enough . The reduction of the livestock herd figures in all the agricultural transition scenarios.

Clarify the agricultural model

Breeders are right to be concerned, because this concern is legitimate. The decline in herds will have a social cost in terms of reorganization but also for the retirement of farmers, who could encounter difficulties in selling their farms. So for the agricultural transition to take place, there must be serious support from the profession. The Court of Auditors mentions this in its report. The challenge now is to clarify the agricultural model towards which France wants to move, to support breeders in this transition.

At the same time, there is no point in reducing the number of herds in France if the eating habits of the French do not change, because if the demand for meat does not drop, the risk is to find yourself importing more, which would be detrimental to the French industry and would have no benefit for the climate. Remember that in France, the individual consumption of meat, red or white, which had decreased significantly between 1970 and 2013, has stagnated for 10 years. To achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, public policies must also encourage consumers, the distribution or catering sector, to make more room for vegetarian menus.