A report published by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society suggested that eating more plant-based food and less meat could boost life expectancy and reduce greenhouse gases by 17 per cent.
Global meat production has more than quadrupled since 1961, with the world now producing more than 340 million tonnes of meat each year, the report says.
This report highlights that food production accounts for 23% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Continuing to reduce the UK’s red meat consumption while increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables would significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid or delay deaths from heart disease, stroke and cancer.