Meat production has devastating environmental impacts. Itcontributes to not only greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, but also natural resources depletion, biodiversity loss, water pollution, and other environmental problems, which together pose a serious threat to agricultural sustainability and food security. Despite these negative impacts, global meat consumption is on the rise, with many governments having implemented meat subsidies and thereby facilitating this trend. For example, the US channels a staggering US$38 billion every year towards subsidising its meat and dairy industries. The EU allocates over €46 billion annually to the livestock sector, whilst the UK dedicates around £1.5 billion (US$2 billion)—about half of its agricultural subsidies—to the same sector. This paper examines meat subsidies from a human rights perspective. It argues that meat subsidies are unsustainable for the planet and human well-being and, therefore, require structural reform. However, the paper does not call for a vegan future, as all individuals have the right to choose their dietary preferences. Instead, it proposes a rights-based approach to subsidies to address the dual challenges of food insecurity and climate change. It concludes that governments should consider adopting this approach to improve sustainability for both the planet and human well-being.
About Dr Ying Chen
Dr Ying Chen is an Associate Professor at Bond University Faculty of Law. She previously held the position of Associate Professor at the University of New England School of Law in Armidale, NSW, and has taught at universities in Mexico, China, and the United States. She holds an LLB from Yantai University in China, and an LLM and SJD from Indiana University in the United States.
Her research interests include human rights, global food governance, international trade and investment, climate change and sustainability, as well as comparative Chinese, American, and Australian law. Much of her recent research focuses on how agricultural trade impacts global food security and safety, as well as strategies to strengthen global food governance to better protect human rights and the environment.