Meat consumption, climate change and population health : a co-benefit study of Australia and Hong Kong

Abstract

Meat consumption contributes significantly to global climate change and burden of disease. Australia and Hong Kong are two leading per capita meat consumption regions with Western and Eastern cultural backgrounds respectively. This study investigated health and greenhouse gas emission benefits of adjusting Australian and Hong Kong population meat intakes to Australian government recommended healthy intake levels by 2030, and the barriers to reducing meat consumption in Hong Kong. Dietary intake data were extracted from the Australian Health Survey conducted in 2011-13 and the Hong Kong Population-Based Food Consumption Survey conducted in 2005-2007 and were taken as “business-as-usual” baselines to evaluate the Australian and Hong Kong population dietary intake patterns and dietary gaps against the Australian government recommendations. A systematic review of meat, legume, fruit, and vegetable emission factor evaluations was conducted to obtain pooled mean cradle-to-ready-to-eat emission factors at home/restaurant. Another systematic review of meta-analyses of the associations of meat, fruit, and vegetable intakes with burden of diseases was conducted to obtain the best relative risk dose-responses. Five counterfactual dietary scenarios were established for the Australian population, and three counterfactual scenarios were established for the Hong Kong population aged 20 years and over. Cradle-to-ready-to-eat life-cycle comparative emission assessments and comparative risk assessments of burden of diseases were used to quantify emission and health outcomes respectively. Finally, an in-depth qualitative survey of 30 participants was conducted to investigate the barriers to reducing meat consumption in Hong Kong. Meat intake in both the Australian and Hong Kong populations were highly disproportionate to recommended levels, particularly amongst adult males. Reducing meat intake in all counterfactual scenarios could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emission by 28-63% in domestic contexts in Australia and by 21-45% in import contexts in Hong Kong (almost no domestic production) when compared against the baseline meat intakes. All scenarios could potentially reduce 15 different burdens of diseases, with estimated reductions in Australia of 18-35% and 8-23% for all-cause mortalities in males and females respectively, and in Hong Kong of 6-14% and 0-4% for all-cause mortalities in males and females respectively. Four major themes were identified from the survey transcripts of the 30 participants of the qualitative study in Hong Kong. Participants have limited awareness of meat intake recommendations and the links between meat intakes, burden of diseases, and greenhouse gas emissions. Individuals’ preferences, craving for meat, concern about undernutrition, and perceived lack of choices of “good price” vegetarian dishes in restaurants were some of the major barriers to reducing meat intake mentioned by participants. More effort and, especially, government support are needed to raise the awareness and overcome the barriers to reducing meat intake, particularly reducing the intake of beef in Australia, and beef and pork in Hong Kong. This thesis provides high quality meat, fruit and vegetable emission factor and relative risk dose-response resources for future dietary evaluations. It provides case evaluation demonstrations that pinpoint regional-, age- and sex-specific population intervention points and leverages, quantifies emission and health outcomes, and identifies population intervention barriers.