# Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods

The Balance of Health
Canonical: https://thebalanceofhealth.com/sources/xu-2021-global-ghg-emissions-animal-plant-foods
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

## status

reviewed

## id

src-xu-2021-food-ghg

## slug

xu-2021-global-ghg-emissions-animal-plant-foods

## title

Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods

## authors

- Xiaoming Xu
- Prateek Sharma
- Shijie Shu
- et al.

## organisation

University of Illinois and collaborators

## publication

Nature Food

## year

2021

## url

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00358-x

## doi

10.1038/s43016-021-00358-x

## sourceType

peer-reviewed-study

## studyType

modelling

## topicIds

- climate

## pillarIds

- environment

## geography

Global, 171 crops and 16 animal products

## keyFindings

- Food-system emissions were estimated at about 35% of global anthropogenic emissions, with animal-based foods responsible for roughly 57% of food-system emissions and plant-based foods about 29%.

## supportsClaimIds

- claim-less-meat-reduces-emissions

## challengesClaimIds



## limitations

- Model-based estimates with uncertainty from land-use-change accounting and emission factors.

## quality

moderate

## qualityRationale

Single modelling study, consistent with independent estimates; estimates concern food production including animal feed.

## Original sources