Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the effect of people moving to a vegan diet on levels of carbon emissions from agriculture.

Defra has not made a specific assessment of the impact of a vegan diet on carbon emissions from agriculture, but our evidence shows that plant-based food products are generally less carbon intensive to produce than livestock products. However, while food choices can have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions, well managed livestock also provide environmental benefits such as supporting biodiversity, protecting the character of the countryside and generating important income for rural communities.

Achieving the net zero target is a priority for the Government, and we are developing a range of measures through the Agriculture Bill, our future farming policy, the National Food Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan, all with the aim of enabling farmers to optimise sustainable food production, reduce emissions from agriculture and allow consumer choices to drive those changes.