HOW CAN WE EAT WITHOUT COOKING THE PLANET?

Oxford’s diet and population health expert, Professor Susan Jebb maintains that ‘we cannot meet Net Zero targets without changing our diet.’

Agriculture accounts for more CO2 emissions than transportation says Professor Jebb and ‘it is the single biggest cause of harm to nature.’

We need governments to make some structural changes in the food system, but meanwhile we can all make a start by doing three things:

• Reduce consumption of meat and dairy
• Avoid eating too much
• Cut down on food waste

Some people, she says, have given up meat altogether but, Professor Jebb says, ‘although animals produce emissions, they are an important part of our agriculture eco-systems and provide important nutrients’. But we need to reduce the global demand for meat, so countries that currently eat a lot of meat need to cut down. That would be good for health and the environment.

‘Eating less meat will be  a win for people and the planet,’ she says.

 COP26 ask: We need policymakers to agree on ways to reshape the food system.