Why sustainable food and farming is key to achieving net zero
This briefing sets out why and how diet and farming policy should take a leading role in tackling climate change, recovering nature, and improving animal welfare.
- Over 30% GHG emissions come from the food and farming system, and it is not possible to achieve the Paris climate targets, or net zero in the UK, without changing how we farm, fish, transport and eat food.
- Food and farming should be considered equally urgent issues as transport and energy.
- More climate-friendly food and farming would have extraordinary benefits for our health, British wildlife, animal welfare and tackling antibiotics resistance, as well as creating green jobs
- We propose tackling the climate and nature emergency by supporting high quality British producers, focussing meat reduction on industrially-reared produce rather than outdoor grazed livestock, and championing nature friendly British farming.
Check out Sustain's full response to the National Food Strategy
National Food Strategy: Launched in two parts over 2020-2021, the National Food Strategy is an independent review commissioned by government to set out a vision and a plan for a better food system.
Sustain
The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
020 3559 6777
sustain@sustainweb.org
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.
© Sustain 2025
Registered charity (no. 1018643)
Data privacy & cookies
Icons by Icons8
