Extremists push UN for carbon tax on meat

Meat producers fear a UN food summit has been hijacked by ‘agressive’ activists.

Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop said the UN Food Systems Summit had ­become a major concern.

Meat producers fear a UN food summit has been hijacked by ­extremists who want world leaders to impose a carbon tax on meat.

A major campaign to tax meat and subsidise vegetables was launched this week in Rome targeting major economies, including Australia. The campaign is being developed under a UN Food Summit of which Australia is a major sponsor, having contributed $63.9m. The Australian government has said it supported the UN goal of delivering more sustainable, productive and resilient agricultural and food systems for producers and consumers.

But meat and livestock industry groups claim the process has been hijacked. A plan to put a carbon tax on meat is to be presented to world leaders during the UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow.

Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop said the UN Food Systems Summit had ­become a major concern.

“It is clear this summit has been held captive by aggressive anti-meat and anti-livestock global ­activist groups”, Mr McKillop said.

“Well-co-ordinated and resourced vested interests are driving the summit’s development at the ­expense of Australia and other livestock-producing UN member states.

“Extreme proposals such as taxes on meat production, non-nutritional changes to dietary guidelines and regressive anti-livestock regulations pose a severe risk to the livelihoods of Australia’s 434,000 meat and livestock workers.”

He said the UN special envoy to the forum had already flagged it would be linked to the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference. Mr McKillop said the Australian government must be steadfast against misinformed global activists’ calls for taxes on meat or livestock production.

“Australia’s red meat and livestock industry has done more to reduce emissions and foster environmental stewardship than any other sector in the nation,” he said.

The industry claims the vast majority of Australia’s landmass cannot support any food production other than red meat, making it an important partner to sequester carbon through sustainable grazing methods.

The campaign against meat is being driven by the True Animal Price Protein Coalition.

“Carbon pricing on fossil fuels is now accepted worldwide,” the group said. “Carbon pricing on food products is the next step.”

The group said if meat consumption continued to grow, the world would not meet its Paris emissions reduction goals. It said a meat tax of €1 ($1.61) per kilo was supported by 81 per cent of ­German consumers.

Campaigners want to end livestock production and are calling for a UN campaign to “dissociate meat consumption and masculinity”. They have also put forward a proposal for people to eat algae instead of meat.

The coalition has targeted 50 countries, with letters set to the leaders of the US, China, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain. A further 38 countries with high meat consumption, including Australia, will be targeted. Australia is high on the list ­because it is estimated to have the world’s third-highest meat consumption per capita.

Governments are being ­encouraged to step up emissions reductions by applying carbon pricing on food. “We suggest to start with meat and dairy, and ­reduce taxes on healthy food,” the coalition said. It said reducing consumption of meat and dairy in the 50 developed countries with the highest meat consumption per capita was imperative for human and planetary health.