Meat consumption is growing despite climate risks

MeatMeat.Photo: pixabay.com

One in five Norwegians say they are willing to eat less meat to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but we both produce and consume more meat than ever before.

All types of meat production are increasing, and last year, 344,000 tons of meat was bred and slaughtered in Norway.

That’s 3.5% more than the year before, and 7.1% more than was the case five years ago, reported Dagsavisen.

‘Such a high mass consumption of meat is a problem for the climate and the world’s resources. It goes beyond animal welfare, or health and increased disease risk’, said researcher, Unni Kjærnes of the National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO).

Last year, the department published a report that showed that one in five people are willing to eat less meat in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Measures such as ‘meat free Monday’ have become more widespread, as is vegetarianism, but total the consumption continues to increase.It doesn’t surprise Kjærnes.

‘The media hasn’t been concerned with the problem, and there is no state information. Instead, there is tremendous pressure on the consumer to eat more meat’, she said and pointed to ‘Matprat’ commercials, and grocery store chains offering deals during the barbecue season and at Easter.

According to ‘Framtiden i våre hender’ (The Future in Our Hands), meat selling uses about half of the supermarket chains’ advertising
space.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today