Is getting a cat or dog bad for the planet?
The IndependentAre different types of pet food particularly bad? Farming animals accounts for 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and the production of red meat accounts for 41 per cent of those emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation. “Those of us in favour of eating or serving meat need to be able to have an informed conversation about our choices, and that includes the choices we make for our pets.” Dry pet food production emits 106 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, more than countries such as Mozambique and the Philippines, according to a 2020 study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh. “Where are these emissions being accounted for?” The researchers analysed more than 280 types of dry pet food sold in Europe and the US, regions which account for two-thirds of sales, and found that half of the food is made from animal and fish products. Dry food production for cats and dogs uses around 49 million hectares of agricultural land, roughly twice the size of the UK, annually, the study found.
History of this topic
UK supporting plan to feed lab-grown meat to pets
China Daily
Wet pet food 'seven times worse' for climate than dry: Study
Hindustan Times)
Carbon Pawprint: Man's Furry Best Friends Might Just be Harming the Planet
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