Forty-five of the world’s major meat and dairy processing companies emitted an estimated one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, according to a new report titled “Roasting the Planet: Big Meat and Dairy’s Big Emissions.” The report, co-authored by Foodrise, Friends of the Earth U.S., Greenpeace Nordic, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, provides a global assessment of emissions from the meat and dairy processing sector.
The combined emissions from these processors exceed the reported emissions of Saudi Arabia, the world’s second largest oil producer, according to the analysis.
The global livestock sector is estimated to be responsible for between 12% and 19% of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the world’s highest emitting sectors. The methane emissions from these 45 companies combined exceed the reported methane emissions of all European Union countries and the United Kingdom combined in 2023.
Five companies account for nearly half of sector emissions
The top five emitters identified in the analysis—JBS, Marfrig, Tyson, Minerva, and Cargill—emitted an estimated 496 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, more than reported for oil companies Chevron, Shell, or BP. These five companies accounted for 48% of the estimated total emissions from the 45 meat and dairy companies analyzed.
JBS, estimated to be the world’s highest-emitting meat corporation, accounted for 24% of all estimated greenhouse gas emissions from these 45 companies. Previous analysis by Greenpeace Nordic estimated that JBS emits more methane than ExxonMobil and Shell combined.
The report notes that an estimated 83% of global meat production and 77% of global meat consumption occurs in high and upper-middle income countries, compared to just 2% in low-income countries. Research cited in the report indicates that dietary changes in high-income nations represent a significant option for reducing food system emissions.
According to the analysis, shifting to a predominantly plant-rich diet—the EAT-Lancet diet—in high-income nations would reduce food emissions by an estimated 61% and free up an area roughly the size of the European Union. If returned to nature, this land could potentially draw down around 14 years of global agricultural emissions.
The report includes policy recommendations for governments, including mandatory reporting of industry data for meat and dairy companies, binding targets for reductions in national agriculture greenhouse gas emissions, and regulation ensuring companies bear environmental and social costs according to the “polluter pays” principle.
Additional recommendations include transitioning away from large-scale animal agriculture toward ecological agriculture systems centered on plant-based food production, supported by subsidy reform, changes to public institution food procurement, retail and catering policy reforms, and divestment of public pension funds from major meat and dairy companies.
Martin Bowman, Senior Policy and Campaigns Manager at Foodrise, stated that policymakers need to address the industry through taxation and regulation. “This is absolutely crucial for the health of people and planet, and to fund a just transition to healthy food which is sustainably farmed,” Bowman said.
The report arrives as governments prepare for COP30, scheduled to take place in the Amazon region. Shefali Sharma, Global Agriculture Policy Expert for Greenpeace Germany, noted that scientists indicate failure to reduce agricultural emissions will significantly impact efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as outlined in the Paris Agreement.
