In 2020, according to a report, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU allocated significantly more funds to support livestock than to plant products. In particular, about 77% of all subsidies, amounting to 39 billion euros out of 51 billion, were directed towards animal products that contribute to high carbon emissions.
Beef and lamb, as major sources of environmental problems, received subsidies in 2020 that were 580 times greater than the support for legumes, such as beans and lentils. The dairy industry also did not lag behind, receiving 554 times more subsidies than the production of nuts and seeds. Overall, meat and dairy products received more than ten times the support compared to vegetables and fruits.
Why do meat and dairy products harm the environment?
Research shows that animal products are responsible for 81-86% of all greenhouse gases associated with food production in the EU, even though they provide only 32% of calories and 64% of protein. On a global scale, agriculture and food account for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, second only to fossil fuel combustion. For example, a 100-gram serving of beef corresponds to a 78.7 km drive in a car and results in the emission of 15.5 kg of CO2 equivalent.
In recent decades, the carbon footprint of livestock farming has significantly increased due to modern farming methods and the large number of animals. Greenpeace points out that 60% of all mammals on the planet are agricultural animals, while wild mammals make up only 4% (the remaining 36% are humans). Domestic birds account for 70% of all birds.
Each of these animals requires significant amounts of feed and space, leading to cruel living conditions and the destruction of carbon-rich ecosystems, such as forests. Investigations show that the demand for soy is driving deforestation in the Amazon.
Meanwhile, soy grown not for human consumption but for feeding livestock accounts for nearly 80% of global production. According to WWF, soy production has doubled in the last 20 years.
This is one of the key factors explaining why livestock farming causes such serious harm to the environment. We are wasting resources growing feed for livestock instead of directly consuming plant products. For example, for every 100 calories fed to an animal, we only get 40 calories of milk, 12 calories of chicken, and just 3 calories of beef, as reported by Compassion in World Farming.
EU subsidies under question
“It is scandalous that a significant portion of EU subsidies, funded by billions of euros from taxpayers, is directed towards supporting high-emission meat and dairy production, distorting the diet of Europeans,” notes Martin Bowman from Foodrise (source in English).
Bowman emphasizes that the CAP is at a crossroads and has the opportunity to rectify the situation by taking measures to transition to healthier and more sustainable plant-based diets.
According to him, such a transition would not only help increase farmers' incomes but also reduce the EU's dependence on imports, mitigate the effects of climate change, and improve public health.
“At the very least, plant products should receive a fairer share of CAP subsidies to ensure a level playing field,” he adds.
Bowman calls on EU politicians to develop an Action Plan to support plant products, which would promote their development at all levels of the supply chain, as well as create a fund to assist farmers in transitioning from livestock farming to plant cultivation.
Reform of EU agricultural policy
In 2024, the European Commission will release a report titled “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture,” highlighting the need for consumers to transition to plant products.
“By 2026, the European Commission must develop a pan-European Action Plan for the development of plant products to strengthen supply chains from farmers to consumers,” the document states.
A representative of the Commission told Euronews Green that the CAP helps make agriculture in the EU a model of sustainability, noting that reforms have led to most direct payments to farmers since 2003 no longer being linked to production volumes.
“Now, subsidies under the CAP depend on compliance with standards such as environmental requirements and animal welfare norms,” he added, reminding that only about 10% of income support measures in the EU are related to livestock farming.
