The impact

To have a good chance of keeping global warming within 2 degrees we need to reduce meat consumption in the developed world by 50% by 2050. Meat consumption in the developing world is rising but remains comparatively very low. 

Biodiversity

There’s more to it than climate change. Livestock based food production is the key source of water pollution, competes with biodiversity and promotes species extinctions.

Intensive farming

It is suggested that intensively farmed beef has a lower climate impact than free range, due to the lower land use and feed which does not induce so much methane. On the other hand the Soil Association suggests that organically farmed grasslands could not only improve soil condition and water retention but also store carbon and counterbalance the methane impacts of beef and lamb farming. While it remains in question there are ethical, environmental and health reasons for choosing high welfare, organic, free range, pasture raised meat.