Puritans rarely stop at trying to limit one “vice.” The offense is rarely just the vice itself, but the pleasure it brings, and pleasure has many, uh, delivery systems.
A century ago, H. L. Mencken famously characterized puritanism as “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” That was true then, and it’s true now. Climate fundamentalism merely adds another twist. Malefactors will not only be consigning themselves to a ghastly fate, but they will dooming others too as the planet, we are told, “boils,” and this externality will be used to justify the policing of your plate.
As the COP28 climate jamboree drew closer, Bloomberg’s scolds were at work, and food did not escape their attention.
The world’s most-developed nations will be told to curb their excessive appetite for meat as part of the first comprehensive plan to bring the global agrifood industry into line with the Paris climate agreement.
The global food systems’ road map to 1.5C is expected to be published by the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization during the COP28 summit next month. Nations that over-consume meat will be advised to limit their intake, while developing countries — where under-consumption of meat adds to a prevalent nutrition challenge — will need to improve their livestock farming, according to the FAO.
From farm to fork, food systems account for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and much of that footprint is linked to livestock farming — a major source of methane, deforestation and biodiversity loss. Although non-binding, the FAO’s plan is expected to inform policy and investment decisions and give a push to the food industry’s climate transition which has lagged other sectors in commitments.
The guidance on meat is intended to send a clear message to governments. But politicians in richer nations typically shy away from policies aimed at influencing consumer behavior, especially where it involves cutting consumption of everyday items.
If we move beyond foodstuffs, smokers (and, increasingly, vapers) may be surprised to read this, as will fans of plastic straws, conventional cars, and gas stoves, to take just a few examples.
Sooner or later, food will be in the line of fire, probably hit with higher rates of taxes. The obesity “epidemic” will be used as an additional “justification.” Meanwhile, farmers are already under attack in countries such as the Netherlands, where proposed eco-regulation has rightly provoked a strong political pushback and contributed to the recent election upset there.