Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is a different perspective on the beef industry. Red meat is one of the most unsustainable sources of protein on earth and the Government's policy seems to ignore that. Increased consumption of red meat is a threat to global food security and according to the peer-reviewed journal, Science, at least 4 billion people could be fed with the crops we currently devote to fattening livestock. The production of a single kilogram of beef is equal to 24 kg of wheat in terms of effort, water, fertiliser, greenhouse gases and cropland needed that goes into its production. Is there any long-term plans to help farmers move towards a more sustainable position in terms of food production?

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