Why the UK National Food Strategy Calls for Britons to Eat Less Meat
The UK aims for a 30% meat reduction by 2032 to combat climate change, support health, and ensure a sustainable food future.
The UK National Food Strategy (NFS), an independent government-commissioned review, has issued a clear recommendation: Britons must eat significantly less meat. Its plan targets a 30% reduction in meat consumption by 2032 in order to achieve vital objectives for climate, health, and sustainable agriculture. This article explores the rationale, evidence, and challenges behind the strategy, highlighting what it means for citizens and the future of British food.
Key Recommendations of the National Food Strategy
- Reduce meat consumption by 30% over ten years (by 2032) to help meet climate and biodiversity goals, while maintaining dietary choice and nutritional needs.
- Increase fruit and vegetable intake by 30% to promote health and help shift diets away from animal-source foods.
- Boost fibre intake by 50% to meet national dietary recommendations and improve population health.
- Cut consumption of high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods by 25% to reduce obesity and other diet-related diseases.
- Reform agricultural practices to protect nature, reduce emissions, and balance food production needs with environmental limits.
The Case for Eating Less Meat
The Climate Impact
Meat production in the UK is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, uses 85% of total farmland, and demands vast resources for grazing and feed crops. According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), a government advisory body, the UK must reduce meat and dairy consumption by 20% by 2030 and 35% by 2050 to achieve net-zero emissions.
Environmental impacts of meat include:
- Intensive land use causing habitat loss and reduced biodiversity
- Significant methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions
- High water consumption and pollution from manure runoff
Population Health Concerns
High intake of red and processed meat is linked to increased risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and overall mortality. The National Food Strategy, echoing advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, sets a goal for those consuming over 90g of red/processed meat daily to reduce to no more than 70g per day.
Current Trends in Meat Consumption
UK meat consumption has already declined by 14% between 2012 and 2022, but a much faster reduction rate—about double—is needed to meet the 2032 and 2050 targets.
| Year | Average Daily Meat Consumption (g/person) | % Change Since 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | 103.7 | — |
| 2018–2019 | 86.3 | -16.8% |
Most of this decline stems from smaller portion sizes and a shift towards white meat, rather than a large increase in vegetarian or vegan diets.
How Much Must Change? National Dietary Targets
| Dietary Component | Change by 2032 | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | -30% | Reduce emissions, improve health, free up land |
| Fruit & Vegetables | +30% | Meet Eatwell standards, support health |
| Fibre | +50% | Meet recommended 30g fibre/day |
| HFSS Foods | -25% | Tackle obesity, chronic disease |
Obstacles to Change: Political and Economic Realities
The National Food Strategy analyzed a range of policies to achieve meat reduction. Among these, a “meat tax” was considered but quickly dismissed due to its high political unpopularity and the potential to penalize lower-income households disproportionately.
Instead, the focus shifted towards endorsing societal-level shifts:
- Promotion of healthy, sustainable eating through education and awareness
- Encouraging the public sector (hospitals, schools) to adopt sustainable procurement
- Supporting farmers to transition to regenerative and agroecological practices
- Incentives for alternative proteins, pulses, and plant-based foods
What others are reading
Still, the CCC noted that current government policies are insufficient to drive the rapid and broad change required, warning a reliance on voluntary behavior could undermine emissions targets.
Alternative Proteins and the Future of Farming
The strategy suggests that for the land to be used more efficiently, the UK must cut livestock numbers and support the development of alternative protein sources. This includes beans, legumes, nuts, and emerging plant-based products that both support UK farming and reduce environmental impacts.
Nonetheless, the government also highlighted the importance of supporting existing livestock farming communities through more sustainable, lower-intensity, or high-yield regenerative methods, ensuring jobs and rural economies are not unduly harmed.
Pushing for a Healthy and Fair Food System
Alongside environmental goals, the strategy is deeply concerned with ensuring food equality and tackling health disparities. Key aspects include:
- Improving access to affordable, nutritious foods for low-income families
- Maintaining high UK food standards in both production and imports
- Reducing food inequality and protecting vulnerable populations from the health burden of unhealthy diets
How Citizens and Policy Can Drive Change
What Households Can Do
- Gradually reduce meat portion sizes, especially red and processed meats
- Explore more plant-based recipes, using beans, pulses, and nuts as protein sources
- Choose “better” meat—higher welfare, grass-fed, and from regenerative sources—when eaten
- Increase daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Challenge social norms by promoting meat-free meals among friends and family
Government and Industry Roles
- Set mandatory targets for public institutions to serve healthy, sustainable foods
- Subsidize fruit, vegetables, and plant-proteins to increase affordability
- Invest in research and infrastructure for plant-based and sustainable proteins
- Use advertising and labeling to raise awareness about healthier, lower-carbon choices
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the UK National Food Strategy?
The National Food Strategy is the first independent, comprehensive review of the UK’s food system in 75 years. Developed in two parts, its second part focuses on sustainability, health, farming reform, and the need for a major dietary shift toward less meat and more plants.
Is the reduction target compulsory?
No, the 30% meat reduction target is a recommendation, not a legal requirement. It is aimed at catalyzing policy and culture shifts rather than mandating specific behavior.
Why not introduce a “meat tax”?
A “meat tax” was found to be the least popular policy, especially among disadvantaged groups, and was abandoned to avoid penalizing poorer families and fueling political backlash.
Won’t reducing meat hurt UK farmers?
The strategy calls for supporting farmers in transitioning toward more sustainable, less intensive livestock farming, while also encouraging alternative protein production. The goal is to reshape, not shrink, the sector.
How does this benefit the environment?
Reducing meat consumption will help free up land for nature restoration, cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve water quality, and boost biodiversity.
Are plant-based diets healthier?
Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fibre, and plant proteins are consistently linked to lower risks of chronic disease. The strategy advises more plants and less meat, not cutting meat out entirely, to strike a balance between health and sustainability.
What Happens Next?
The Food Strategy’s recommendations will only have an impact if adopted through strong, coordinated policy and embraced at all levels of society. The CCC and various health and food policy bodies stress the urgency of rapid change—through education, incentives, and a culture shift—to transform not only the foods Britons eat, but how those foods are produced and valued.
The UK now faces a crucial choice: maintain the status quo and miss climate and health targets, or chart a course for a future where meat is less central and food is fairer, healthier, and more sustainable for everyone.
References
- https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/06/13/governments-food-strategy-a-missed-opportunity-for-the-climate/
- https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/node/861
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-024-01070-2
- https://foodfoundation.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-05/TFF_Meat%20Facts.pdf
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61684fe3e90e071979dfec4a/national-food-strategy-the-plan.pdf
- https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/National-Food-Strategy-Chapter-16.pdf
- https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-uk-government-food-strategy-for-england/a-uk-government-food-strategy-for-england-considering-the-wider-uk-food-system
Similar Articles
Read full bio of Sneha Tete
