The European Union faces criticism as a new report reveals heavy subsidies for foods that harm the climate. Advocates urge the EU to introduce a Plant-Based Action Plan to encourage sustainable diets and help farmers transition away from meat and dairy.
Climate-damaging foods, especially red meat, receive enormous support from EU subsidies, sparking outrage over taxpayer money. Charity Foodrise published a report showing that the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) directed far more funding to high-emission animal-sourced foods than plant-based options in 2020. Animal-based products received roughly 77 percent of total CAP subsidies, equaling €39 billion out of €51 billion spent that year.
Beef and lamb, consistently identified as the most climate-damaging foods, received about 580 times more subsidies than legumes such as lentils and beans. Dairy products also drew heavy support, receiving an estimated 554 times more CAP funding than nuts and seeds. Overall, meat and dairy gained over ten times more subsidies than fruit and vegetable production.
why meat and dairy drive emissions
Animal-sourced foods account for 81 to 86 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from EU food production. They supply only 32 percent of calories and 64 percent of protein. Globally, food and agriculture contribute about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, second only to burning fossil fuels. According to the CO2 Everything calculator, a 100g serving of beef releases 15.5 kg CO2 equivalent, equal to driving 78.7 km.
The carbon footprint of animal agriculture has grown sharply due to industrial farming and the sheer number of animals. Greenpeace estimates that 60 percent of all mammals on Earth are livestock, while four percent remain wild and 36 percent are humans. Farmed poultry makes up 70 percent of all birds.
Every livestock animal needs food and space, leading to factory farms that confine animals and clear forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Multiple investigations show Amazon deforestation is driven by demand for soya, which mostly feeds livestock, not humans. WWF reports that almost 80 percent of global soybean production goes to animals, and output has doubled in the last two decades.
Animal agriculture also relies on artificial fertilizers and produces methane, adding further environmental harm. Feeding crops to animals reduces efficiency: 100 calories of crops yield just 40 calories of milk, 12 calories of chicken, and 3 calories of beef, according to Compassion in World Farming. This process wastes water, crops, and energy that could feed humans directly.
unfair distribution of EU subsidies
Martin Bowman from Foodrise called the current CAP system “scandalous.” He says EU taxpayers’ money heavily supports high-emission meat and dairy while European diets remain distorted. CAP stands at a crossroads, offering policymakers an opportunity to promote plant-rich diets.
Bowman emphasizes that transitioning to plant-based agriculture could increase farmer incomes, reduce EU reliance on imports, lower emissions, and improve public health. Plant-based foods deserve a fairer share of CAP funding to compete equally. “The misuse of EU funds to promote meat and dairy contradicts EU health and climate goals and must stop,” he said.
Bowman urged EU leaders to launch a Plant-Based Action Plan. The plan would strengthen plant-based supply chains and provide a fund to help farmers switch from livestock to crops. In 2024, the European Commission highlighted the importance of supporting consumers in adopting plant-based diets. It recommended developing an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods by 2026 to strengthen agri-food chains from farmers to consumers.
