Food businesses in the UK are required to reduce their meat consumption to prevent a potential catastrophic loss of biodiversity.

In a new report, the UK's Food Foundation has called on food companies and policymakers to accelerate a switch to plant-based diets to combat climate change and lower the risk of biodiversity extinction.

The report highlights the significant impact of human activity on global wildlife populations, with populations shrinking by 73% in the last 50 years. This decline is primarily due to the expansion of agriculture, particularly animal-based food production, which accounts for 30% of global biodiversity loss.

The Food Foundation's findings reveal that current UK dietary patterns, especially the consumption of red or ruminant meats like beef and lamb, are directly linked to increased extinction risks for numerous species. Shifting to plant-based diets could reduce the projected number of extinctions linked to current dietary habits by 58% over the next 100 years.

The report also underlines the importance of agriculture in contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. It states that food production and diets, particularly those high in animal-source foods, play a critical role in driving biodiversity loss.

To mitigate the harm current food systems are having on nature and the environment, the Food Foundation suggests rethinking what we eat and how we produce food. They propose a less intensive, more regenerative approach to animal agriculture as important but not a realistic solution with current levels of livestock and meat consumption.

Instead, the Food Foundation calls for an ambitious edible horticulture growth plan for British farmers and growers to support the production and increased consumption of plant foods, including beans. They argue that beans and grains are, on average, the strongest-performing foods on sustainability, nutrition, and price fronts.

The report also emphasises the economic benefits of transforming food systems to be healthier and more sustainable while providing decent livelihoods. The net benefits of such a transformation have been estimated at $4.5-10 billion annually. Acting swiftly to protect nature and biodiversity could generate $10 trillion in economic value and nearly 400 million jobs globally by the end of the decade.

Baroness (Joan) Walmsley stresses the importance of government action on transitioning towards plant-forward diets for public health and the economy. She warns that the UK government's failure to address biodiversity loss in the agrifood industry will lead to greater economic costs in the 2030s.

Companies in Germany involved in industrial animal farming and meat production need to significantly accelerate the shift of their production towards plant-based diets to reduce climate change and biodiversity loss risks. This includes leading meat producers and agribusinesses contributing substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and land use pressures, who should implement measures like reducing animal stock by up to 80% by 2030, supporting farmers transitioning out of livestock, and promoting plant-based food alternatives.

Anay Mridul, the website's resident news reporter, originally from India, and passionate about food, veganism, and writing, covers this important report. Mridul is committed to bringing awareness about the impact of our dietary choices on the environment and the importance of sustainable food systems.

The Food Foundation urges policymakers and businesses to take action to boost the uptake of plant-rich diets in the UK, with a focus on whole-food sources like beans. They believe that a shift to plant-rich diets among the most viable and effective ways to transform the food system, not just for the environment, but also for public health and the economy.

Food businesses in the UK are required to reduce their meat consumption to prevent a potential catastrophic loss of biodiversity.