Restoring ecosystems and limiting emissions from farming could curb hidden costs from the food system by around 500 billion US dollars a year. Combined with healthy diets and tackling poverty, the benefits are many times greater.
As concerns about the impact of industrial farming grow, a visionary company in southern Germany has developed a tool to recognise and incentivise sustainable practices.
In 2022 Aarhus introduced an internal climate tax. In the first year, it resulted in a 40 per cent reduction of beef consumption and a 12 per cent overall decrease in food-related emissions.
The Danish government allocates around 11 million euros annually to a fund for plant-based foods. Its aim is to make plant-based diets accessible and appealing to everyone.
MEPs agreed to improve emission reporting, but sided with the industry and farm lobby instead of taking action to protect citizens’ health and the environment.
