Meat has become a controversial topic in public debates, as it involves multiple sustainability dimensions. Here, we review global meat consumption trends and the various sustainability dimensions involved, including economic, social, environmental, health, and animal welfare issues. Meat has much larger environmental and climate footprints than plant-based foods and can also be associated with negative health effects. Technological options can help to increase the sustainability of meat production, but changes in consumption are required as well. At least in high-income countries, where people consume a lot of meat on average, notable reductions will be important. However, vegetarian lifestyles for all would not necessarily be the best option. Especially in low-income countries, nutritious plant-based foods are not available or affordable year-round. Also, livestock production is an important source of income for many poor households. More research is needed on how to promote technological and behavioral changes while managing sustainability trade-offs.

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肉类消费和可持续性


肉类已成为公共辩论中的一个有争议的话题，因为它涉及多个可持续发展维度。在这里，我们回顾了全球肉类消费趋势以及所涉及的各种可持续发展维度，包括经济、社会、环境、健康和动物福利问题。与植物性食品相比，肉类对环境和气候的影响要大得多，而且还可能对健康产生负面影响。技术选择有助于提高肉类生产的可持续性，但也需要改变消费。至少在人们平均消费大量肉类的高收入国家，显着减少肉类消费非常重要。然而，所有人的素食生活方式并不一定是最好的选择。特别是在低收入国家，营养丰富的植物性食品全年无法获得或负担得起。此外，畜牧业生产也是许多贫困家庭的重要收入来源。需要对如何在管理可持续性权衡的同时促进技术和行为变革进行更多研究。