Eat insects and fake meat to cut impact of livestock on the planet – study

Changes in diet are vital to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation caused by the world's growing appetite for meat, say scientists

Insects and imitation meat are the best alternatives to real meat in tackling the huge and growing environmental impact of livestock on the planet, new research has shown.

The world's appetite for meat is rising fast as incomes grow but the resulting greenhouse gas emissions, already 12% of the total, are also soaring and taming global warming will be impossible unless the trend is reversed. Rising demand is also leading to more of the world's natural areas being converted to farmland, a key factor in the mass extinction of species currently unfolding.