MEAT products should be taxed to help save the environment, a leading think tank has warned this week, suggesting that the livestock industry has been 'overlooked' when it comes to tackling climate change.


Fruit, vegetables and tofu could be subsidised by using money raised through a tax on meat, according to a report compiled by researchers at Chatham House.


A “carbon tax” of £1.76 per kilo on the price of beef could reduce consumption by 14 per cent, a study they highlighted suggests.


In the report, the think-tank argues that the livestock sector has been “almost completely overlooked” in efforts to tackle climate change, despite the fact it accounts for about 15 per cent of global greenhouse emissions – the same proportion as direct emissions from cars, planes, trains and ships combined.


NFU climate change adviser Dr Ceris Jones said: “Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in the UK have decreased by around 19 per cent since 1990 and the industry has committed to tackling its GHGs through the Greenhouse Gas Action Plan.


“The scientific and medical communities both agree that consuming recommended quantities of red meat is beneficial to human health and provides the body with a ready source of essential vitamins and minerals. The NFU has always stated that eating lean red meat has an important role to play in a healthy balanced diet. It’s a traditional part of the British lifestyle and is enjoyed by most of the population.


Dr Jones said that farmers need to retain the capacity to produce food while continuing to safeguard the environment.


He added: “The NFU, as a member of the World Farmers’ Organisation, will be in Paris for COP21. We think it’s critical that farming’s voice is heard on this important international stage because it’s farmers who are going to feed and fuel the growing global population.”


Stuart Lowen, who runs Stuart Lowen Quality Butchers and Farm Shop in Minehead, West Somerset, said that he was not unduly worried about the impact on his business at this stage.


"It is already a difficult time for the farming industry at the moment. You often here people say these things and then 6-12 months down the line it is something else, also I have to question how they will regulate such a policy," Mr Lowen said.


"We will have to wait and see whether this could have an impact on our business, but as with most things in our diet we believe meat should be eaten in moderation."