If the United Nations has its way, the availability of meat in America will go down, while the price goes up.
Recently the UN issued a strong recommendation to the West. Including America. It accused us of eating too much meat and called on us to drastically reduce our meat consumption.
Why does the UN care how much meat Americans eat? It’s all about reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The more cattle and other animals that are raised for their meat, the more methane will rise into the air.
Plan Claims Meat Companies Have Failed
This “roadmap” for making the world a better place comes from the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The plan was announced at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. The food systems roadmap recommends that U.S. farmers and ranchers change the way they produce food for the country.
Jeremy Coller is the chairman and founder of the Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return (FAIRR) Initiative. He said, “The failure of leading meat and dairy companies to reduce emissions underlines the urgent need for more policy focus on the food and agriculture sector.”
FAIRR is an investor network that partners with financial institutions to push climate-friendly agriculture worldwide.
UN Turns Focus to Agriculture
Coller added, “Food system emissions deserve a place at the top of the table, alongside energy and transport, as they represent an estimated third of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of methane.
“Investors hope the first-ever publication of a food and agriculture roadmap… will catalyze the transition to… a more sustainable food system.”
In addition to asking farmers and ranchers to reduce the amount of meat they provide, the plan requests that they adapt to the increase in extreme weather. And reduce the emissions they produce from food waste and their use of fertilizer.
In the past, the UN has focused on the power, transportation, and manufacturing sectors to reduce emissions. Now they’re targeting farmers and ranchers.
Will U.S. Government Buy Into It?
This UN recommendation is not binding on the U.S or any other country. But by the way John Kerry talks, there is concern it could end up being seriously considered here.
Kerry is a former U.S. presidential candidate and current U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Here’s what he said earlier this year.
“A lot of people have no clue that agriculture contributes about 33% of all the emissions of the world. We can’t get to net-zero, we don’t get this job done, unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution.”
Kerry continued by saying that “food systems themselves contribute a significant amount of emissions.” And that those emissions “are projected to cause another half a degree of warming by mid-century.”
U.S. Agriculture Chairman Bites Back
As you’d expect, there has been considerable backlash to the UN proposal. And a fear that U.S. lawmakers will buy into it.
Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania is the Republican chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. He told Fox News that the “world needs American farmers and ranchers more than the UN.”
He added that America’s farmers and ranchers are “climate heroes” because they have already reduced emissions. While at the same time provided “abundant and affordable food, fiber, and fuel” to the nation. As well as to other countries that purchase food and other goods from us.
Federal data backs him up. Only 10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from agriculture. And the American agriculture sector accounts for only 1.4% of global emissions.
“Regulating (food) producers out of business in the U.S will not effectively address global climate change,” Thompson said.
Pointing the Finger at Food
No one should be surprised by the UN’s new proposal. For years now the organization has asked individuals around the world to change their animal-based diets.
They’ve encouraged people to choose plant-based foods in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Nature Food journal claims that the global food system generates about 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. Which represents approximately one-third of the world’s total emissions.
The FAO says that livestock alone are responsible for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Stock Up on Meat Now
Only time will tell if the UN plan is adopted here in the U.S. But if it is, we can expect significantly less meat in our grocery stores. Not to mention the higher prices that will result due to the increase in demand and the shortage of supply.
In response to the UN proposal, 4Patriots put together a special New Year’s deal you won’t want to pass up. Especially with meat prices climbing.
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One more thing. Let me know your opinion in the comments below. How often do you and your family consume meat? And do you think the U.S. government should follow the UN’s advice to tell farmers and ranchers to reduce meat production?
