This report first presents a systematic overview of the life cycle of meat and dairy products and their
environmental impacts, covering the full food chain. It goes on to provide a comprehensive analysis of the
improvement options that allow reducing the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle. Finally, the
report assesses the different options regarding their feasibility as well as their potential environmental and
socioeconomic benefits and costs.
The report focuses on improvement options in three main areas:
• Household improvements, mainly to reduce food losses (wastage) and to reduce car use for
shopping;
• Agricultural improvements, mainly to reduce water and air emissions (in particular nitrate,
ammonia and methane) and land requirements;
• Power savings in farming, food industry, retail, catering, and for household appliances.
The study presents the consequences that the adoption of these options might have on a broad range
of different environmental issues, including global warming, eutrophication, respiratory health impacts,
etc. It shows that when all environmental improvement potentials are taken together, the aggregated
environmental impacts (external costs) of meat and dairy products may be reduced by about 20 %. The
study has also quantified the economic costs and benefits of implementing the different options.
Figures - uploaded by
Bo Pedersen WeidemaAuthor contentAll figure content in this area was uploaded by Bo Pedersen Weidema
Content may be subject to copyright.