Tofu could harm environment more than meat, UK study finds

Many of the soy, chickpeas and lentils grown overseas and imported into Britain for meat substitutes can carry relatively high negative ecological costs, according to a university study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund. When a meat to meat-substitute choice is projected to more of the population, resulting production shifts could have further unintended consequences.

Showing the complexity of assessing short-term and long-term impact to food choices, the research showed found that switching from beef and lamb reared in Britain to meat substitutes would result in more foreign land being cultivated and raise the risk of forests being destroyed to create farmland. Meat substitutes also tended to be highly processed and involved energy-intensive production methods.

Jonathan Scurlock, a farm group leader on climate change, said: “The message is that no single option offers a panacea. The report rightly demonstrates the many environment benefits to be had from grazing pasture land with little or no other productive use.”

Full story: (London) Timesonline