The meat sector, committed to sustainable production and a varied diet
The Spanish meat sector reaffirms its commitment to the improvement of the environment, the reduction of greenhouse gases and the safety and quality of its productions, while continuing to work for a varied and balanced diet, within the framework of the Diet Mediterranean, which includes all food groups in the guidelines for healthy consumption recommended by the scientific community.
Following the publication of the report “Climate change and land” prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes the need to promote a diet with food of animal origin produced sustainably and with low emissions, the Carne y Salud Platform recalls that the Spanish and European livestock-meat sector are an international benchmark for their work in the sustainability of their productions, improving processes, facilities and management and making important innovations in waste management.
With the use of new technologies, production systems and new techniques with a lower environmental impact are being developed, with the objective of a progressive reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions. Examples of this commitment, among many others, are sectoral actions to reduce the carbon footprint by 15% in the cattle sector, or by 47% reduction in ammonia emissions and 54% by methane in the pig sector , together with the saving of up to 30% the use of water for each kilo of meat produced and the promotion of sustainable rabbit meat production.
In addition, the sector allows to maintain important ecosystems that would not be viable without their livestock use, such as the meadows in the case of the Iberian pig or the traditional grazing of sheep and goats and that of the cows in pastures and mountain areas, which are united to the promotion of biodiversity and the conservation of natural spaces.
In short, the Spanish livestock sector applies the European Production Model, the most demanding in the world in terms of quality, traceability, animal health, food safety, welfare of livestock and environmental and social sustainability.
For a balanced diet
The meat sector defends a balanced diet in which animal and vegetable proteins are included in line with the recommendations of scientific societies. Meat is a food with very important nutrients for human health, it is a source of proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals and its inclusion in the diet represents important nutritional benefits, which provides proteins of high biological value, vitamins of group B and minerals such as phosphorus, zinc and iron.
The inclusion of meat and meat products in the diet is essential to achieve the daily requirements of certain nutrients such as iron, and therefore, can be included in the diet 2-4 times per week (as recommended by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation), within of a varied and balanced diet.
In fact, in Spain, the needs of B6 and B12 are covered thanks to the consumption of meat products, and there is ample scientific evidence that demonstrates the benefits of eating meat in a balanced diet. In addition, it should be noted that in Spain the consumption of meat and meat products is moderate and is within the guidelines set by international health organizations, so the recommendations of the IPCC for the future are in line with the moderate consumption that It is done in our country.
