EU Climate Advisers Recommend Shifting Subsidies Away From Animal Ag & Encouraging Plant-Based Diets
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has released a report outlining several recommendations for addressing the climate crisis, including shifting subsidies away from animal agriculture. The authors say that the common agricultural policy (CAP) “should be better aligned with EU goals”. This could include “shifting CAP support away from emission-intensive agricultural practices, including livestock production”, instead prioritising lower-emissions products and other environmental policies. Furthermore, the report recommends measures to “encourage healthier, more plant-based diets”, along with other strategies to aid the transition towards a climate-neutral food system. For example, emissions pricing should be extended to the agricultural and food sectors, making high-emission foods more expensive and therefore discouraging their purchase. Other agricultural recommendations include a standalone emissions reduction objective and practices that reduce …