Netherlands Livestock Reduction Plan Raises Question of ‘Peak Meat’

When the Netherlands was found in violation of EU environmental law, the government developed a plan to reduce nitrogen emissions that includes a 30% reduction in farmed animals by 2030, reports The Guardian. The plan has met with protest in the Netherlands, but it is being held up by some experts as a sign of the type of governmental action that will be necessary to protect the environment and biodiversity. Some say that the United States, as the world’s largest producer of beef, chicken, and cow’s milk, will need to take similar action to identify a point of “peak meat” and reduce livestock populations or change the way animals are raised in order to protect environmental quality.