Meatless chief criticises EU’s farm to fork strategy

The proposal, published last week, focuses on making existing animal rearing more sustainable but Meatless Farm argued that the policy shies away from promoting a shift away from meat.

The strategy lists a number of measures which it says will pave the way for greener food production, healthier and more sustainable diets, and less food waste.

It includes cutting the use of pesticides and antibiotics, reducing food waste, and curbing the environmental impact of transport in the sector.

It acknowledges that moving to a more plant-based diet with less red and processed meat and with more fruits and vegetables reduces the risks of life threatening diseases and also the environmental impact of the food system.

The report adds: “A key area of research will relate to microbiome, food from the oceans, urban food systems, as well as increasing the availability and source of alternative proteins such as plant, microbial, marine and insect-based proteins and meat substitutes.”

However, Morten Toft Bech (inset), founder of Leeds-based Meatless Farm, argued the measures dos not go far enough. “This strategy is not green, and it is a bad deal for consumers and the environment,” he said.

“Instead of realising that it is healthier and better for the planet to cut down on meat production, Brussels has bowed to the meat lobby.

“There is no way the EU can hit its CO2 reduction targets without stopping inefficient, animal-based agriculture and promoting a shift to plant-based.

“The UK, now it is leaving the EU, should show leadership with truly green agricultural policies.”

Research, commissioned by Meatless Farm and carried out by environmental scientist, Dr Joseph Poore of Oxford University, found that swapping one meat meal a week to plant-based would result in a reduction of up to 8.4 per cent in the UK’s total greenhouse gasses.

Mr Toft Bech said studies in the US have shown that per calorie or gram of protein, plant-based food consumes up to 90 per cent less water, land and fossil fuels to produce than the meat they replace.

A recent report by analysts, research and markets, predicted that the plant-based ‘meat’ market will grow 17 per cent between 2020 and 2021, from $3.6bn to $4.2bn.

Meatless Farm recently reported year-on-year sales growth of 210 per cent, driven by the swell in consumer demand for healthier, more environmentally friendly food.

It launched its products in supermarkets in October 2018 and has been identified by market researchers Kantar as the UK’s fastest growing meat alternatives brand.

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