‘Scandalous’: EU slammed for spending billions on meat subsidies

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A new report by Foodrise reveals that the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) disproportionately supports high-emission animal-based foods
• In 2020, beef and lamb received 580 times more subsidies than legumes, while dairy got 554 times more than nuts and seeds
• Animal agriculture, responsible for the majority of food-related emissions, receives around 77% of CAP subsidies, totaling €39 billion

🔭 The context: The EU continues to allocate substantial funding to the meat and dairy sectors despite the growing environmental cost of animal agriculture, 
• The animal agriculture industry contributes to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource inefficiencies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Animal agriculture is a leading driver of climate change, with large-scale meat and dairy production contributing significantly to emissions, land degradation, and biodiversity loss
• Redirecting subsidies to plant-based foods could reduce environmental harm, mitigate deforestation, and improve the sustainability of the EU's food system

⏭️ What’s next: Foodrise advocates for a Plant-Based Action Plan to shift subsidies toward plant-based agriculture, which would support the transition to healthier, more sustainable diets

💬 One quote: “This shameful use of EU funds to promote meat and dairy to EU citizens – which is directly contrary to EU health and climate goals – should end immediately.” — Martin Bowman, Foodrise

📈 One stat: Animal-based foods receive 580 times more subsidies than legumes in 2020, despite their far greater environmental impact

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