One fifth of the global meat production of 263 million tons a year is not consumed but thrown away. This corresponds to a weight of approximately 75 million cows.1
However, compared to the production of plant-based food the loss and waste in meat production affects not only the animals themselves but also – and even to a higher degree – the resources needed for raising them. 3.9 billion hectares of the some 5 billion hectares of land used for agriculture are used directly or indirectly for producing animal-based foodstuffs. Generally speaking one third of the earths total surface area are currently used for cattle growing.2
In addition to the land use required for cattle growing especially water is needed – both directly and indirectly for the required feed. Cattle growers consume over 15,000 l of water for one kilogram of beef, still just under 6,000 litres for pork and 4,300 litres of water for poultry.3 Add to this the green house gasses caused by these animals. Accounting for almost 20% of global green house gas emissions, the contribution of meat production is extremely high here, too.4
In Germany the annual meat consumption per capita stands at 88 kilograms. Germans eat 100 times as much meat as pulses.5 In view of the enormous amount of resources needed for meat production loss and waste minimisation are of particular importance here. The reasons vary by region and country. In southern Africa the highest losses predominantly occur in cattle growing, whereas in Europe and the USA retail and consumers are responsible for waste and loss.6 All the more important is therefore a change in attitude on the one hand, and improved methods and infrastructures in production, on the other.
