Cheese and meat take the largest toll on the environment

A report published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington-based advocacy organization, provides a comprehensive assessment of 20 popular protein-packed foods and points to lamb, beef, pork, cheese, and farmed salmon as the protein-packed foods that take the largest toll on the environment.

The group took into account the environmental impact of production, processing, transportation, cooking, and waste (20 per cent of edible meat winds up in landfills), before reaching a relatively familiar conclusion: people should eat less meat and dairy.

‘Although this issue has been reported on for a long time, Americans continue to have really high rates of meat consumption, particularly children,’ said Kari Hamerschlag, senior analyst at EWG and author of the new report.

America produces and consumes 60 per cent more meat per person than Europeans or Asians. However, with changing consumption trends, the meat and cheese eaters in Asia are likely to match up with Americans, raising environmental concerns.

While the environmental consequences of eating meat are frequently discussed, the fact that cheese is also one of the top climate culprits may come as a surprise to many. It takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese, Hamerschlag explained. That equates to a lot of methane and manure from dairy cows.

Splurging on food has had detrimental effects on human health, including increased rates of heart disease, cancer, and obesity. We are not just harming ourselves when we choose a hamburger and a milkshake, noted Hamerschlag. The production of meat and dairy requires the use of large amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed, and water, and it releases greenhouse gases, manure, and a range of toxic chemicals into our air and water.

‘We’re not advocating that people stop eating meat and cheese; we’re just suggesting that people consider eating less. Ultimately, we need better policies and stronger regulations to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production. But personal shifting of diets is an important step,’ Hamerschlag explained.

Picture: The Humane Society of Foods of United States