Taking a Rights-Based Approach to Meat Subsidies to Address the Dual Challenges of Food Insecurity and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of the US, EU, and UK Agri-Food Policies

Meat production has devastating environmental impacts. It contributes to not only greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, but also natural resources depletion, biodiversity loss, water pollution, and other environmental problems, which together pose a serious threat to agricultural sustainability and food security. Despite these negative impacts, global meat consumption is on the rise, with many governments having implemented meat subsidies and thereby facilitating this trend. For example, the United States (US) channels a staggering $38 billion every year towards subsidizing its meat and dairy industries. The European Union (EU) allocates over €46 billion ($50.5 billion) annually to the livestock sector, whilst the United Kingdom (UK) dedicates around £1.5 billion ($2 billion)—about half of its agricultural subsidies—to the same sector. This Article examines meat subsidies from a human rights perspective. It argues that meat subsidies are unsustainable for the planet and human well-being and, therefore, require structural reform. However, the Article does not call for a vegan future, as all individuals have the right to choose their dietary preferences. Instead, it proposes a rights-based approach to subsidies to address the dual challenges of food insecurity and climate change. This Article is divided into five parts. The introduction describes the complex interplay between meat subsidies, climate and environmental impacts of meat production, and food insecurity. Part I examines state obligations to uphold the right to food under international and national laws. It also discusses the four key elements of this right, specifically availability, accessibility, adequacy, and sustainability. Parts II and III review subsidy schemes in the US, EU, and UK that directly and indirectly support meat production and argue that while these subsidies have addressed some concerns associated with the first three key elements of the right to food, they have also introduced more serious problems within these elements. The greatest concern, however, is that meat subsidies perpetuate unsustainable agricultural practices and consumption patterns that severely undermine the fourth key element of the right to food: sustainability. Parts IV and V investigate a rights-based approach to subsidies and conclude that governments should consider adopting this approach to improve sustainability for both the planet and human wellbeing.