Meetings and meat things
Door: Maayke en Don JV's CSD
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Michaela
06 Mei 2008 | Verenigde Staten, New York
Maayke Damen and Don Gerritsen, Dutch Youth Representatives
Hundreds of omnivores have gathered at UN CSD 16. We must acknowledge that the extent of prosperity amongst the delegates is not representative to that of the average global citizen.
Country representatives reiterate that the world is currently witnessing rising incomes of middlemen in several developing countries. As people achieve rising incomes, their ability to purchase more products and those of higher quality increases.
Food products are a good example of this phenomenon. Purchasing higher quality foods means altering from traditional, low cost food such as wheat and rice to meat products such as beef, poultry and pig.
Meat consumption patterns vary around the world. The average worldwide consumption of meat is 31 kg. pp. per year. Americans currently consume approximately 124 kg. pp. per year. And Bangladesh consumes 3 kg per person. However, meat consumption around the world is growing at an incredible pace.
Economic development is in essence excellent for the well-being of country's citizens. But it could simultaneously have an enormous impact on the world’s environmental systems.
One of the problems regarding meat is the amount of land required for its production.
In the Netherlands, 20.9 m2 of land is required to produce 1 kg of beef, just for feed and other inputs.
If every person on the planet were to consume the same amount of meat as the average American and all land was used at the same technological way as land in the Netherlands, meat production alone would account for 30% of the world’s potentially arable land, which is at least 4 times as much as is currently being used.
But the land is urgently needed for food crops, especially with the current food crisis.
Land availability is not the only problem. Greenhouse emissions and energy requirements also pose potential difficulties. For example, production of one kg. of beef requires the equivalent of 14.8 kg of CO2.
As a comparison, one gallon of gasoline emits approximately 2.4 kg of CO2.
Consuming one kg of beef thus has a similar impact on the environment as 6.2 gallons of gasoline, or driving 160 miles on the highway in an average American mid-size car.
The current cycle of the CSD provides countries with an excellent opportunity to discuss this topic now. If the issue addressed above will be discussed at this review year, precedents can be created for policy improvements at next year’s CSD.
Action needs to be undertaken to reduce competition of the effects of globally changing diets with natural resources to mitigate the current food crisis and climate change.
And attempt to practice what you preach!
Hundreds of omnivores have gathered at UN CSD 16. We must acknowledge that the extent of prosperity amongst the delegates is not representative to that of the average global citizen.
Country representatives reiterate that the world is currently witnessing rising incomes of middlemen in several developing countries. As people achieve rising incomes, their ability to purchase more products and those of higher quality increases.
Food products are a good example of this phenomenon. Purchasing higher quality foods means altering from traditional, low cost food such as wheat and rice to meat products such as beef, poultry and pig.
Meat consumption patterns vary around the world. The average worldwide consumption of meat is 31 kg. pp. per year. Americans currently consume approximately 124 kg. pp. per year. And Bangladesh consumes 3 kg per person. However, meat consumption around the world is growing at an incredible pace.
Economic development is in essence excellent for the well-being of country's citizens. But it could simultaneously have an enormous impact on the world’s environmental systems.
One of the problems regarding meat is the amount of land required for its production.
In the Netherlands, 20.9 m2 of land is required to produce 1 kg of beef, just for feed and other inputs.
If every person on the planet were to consume the same amount of meat as the average American and all land was used at the same technological way as land in the Netherlands, meat production alone would account for 30% of the world’s potentially arable land, which is at least 4 times as much as is currently being used.
But the land is urgently needed for food crops, especially with the current food crisis.
Land availability is not the only problem. Greenhouse emissions and energy requirements also pose potential difficulties. For example, production of one kg. of beef requires the equivalent of 14.8 kg of CO2.
As a comparison, one gallon of gasoline emits approximately 2.4 kg of CO2.
Consuming one kg of beef thus has a similar impact on the environment as 6.2 gallons of gasoline, or driving 160 miles on the highway in an average American mid-size car.
The current cycle of the CSD provides countries with an excellent opportunity to discuss this topic now. If the issue addressed above will be discussed at this review year, precedents can be created for policy improvements at next year’s CSD.
Action needs to be undertaken to reduce competition of the effects of globally changing diets with natural resources to mitigate the current food crisis and climate change.
And attempt to practice what you preach!
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
