Study: Swapping Beef for Chicken, Cow's Milk for Plant-Based Options Can Reduce Carbon Emissions, Improve Health

Research finds replacing beef with chicken and cow's milk with plant alternatives could reduce food-related carbon footprint by 35%, and improve diet quality up to 10%; policy focus on meals with easily substituted proteins for maximum impact.

Making simple dietary substitutes can significantly reduce a person's carbon footprint and improve their health. For instance, replacing beef with chicken or cow's milk with a plant-based alternative could lower food-related carbon emissions by up to 35%, and also increase diet quality by 4-10%.
Food production contributes to 25-33% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, with beef production being a major factor. Changes such as ordering a chicken burrito instead of a beef one or choosing plant-based milk over cow's milk at the grocery store can actually lead to sizable impacts.
The study, which involved the analysis of diet data from over 7,700 Americans, explored potential replacements for food items with high climate impacts with nutritionally similar, lower-emission options. Some examples include swapping a beef burger for a turkey one or selecting plant-based milk instead of cow's milk.
Major reductions in emissions are predominantly seen in mixed meals, such as pastas and burritos, where it's easier to substitute a lower-impact protein in place of beef. The study also suggested that transitioning children to plant-based milk can instigate a meaningful change to their carbon footprint and promote beneficial habits from an early age.
Interestingly, the study found that a shift towards lower carbon foods generally made diets healthier, even though that wasn't the study's primary objective. This signifies a positive overlap between sustainable diets and healthy diets, implying that making one small change can result in substantial improvements in diet and climate outcomes.