Analysis Finds Media Overlooks Meat Production as Major Climate Threat

Analysis Finds Media Overlooks Meat Production as Major Climate Threat
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Despite food and agriculture contributing fully one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions—second only to fossil fuel combustion—media coverage of the climate crisis consistently overlooks the role of animal agriculture, according to a new analysis by Sentient Media reported by The Guardian.

The analysis, which reviewed 940 climate articles from 11 major U.S. news outlets, found that only about a quarter of stories mentioned food and agriculture as a cause of climate change. Crucially, a mere 3.8% of the analyzed articles mentioned animal agriculture or meat production, which is by far the single largest source of food-related emissions.

The data reveals a media environment that obscures a key driver of global warming. Meat production alone is responsible for nearly 60% of the food sector’s climate emissions. This lack of coverage correlates with public misunderstanding; a recent poll found that 74% of U.S. respondents believe eating less meat has little to no effect on the climate crisis.

Experts cited in the report noted that the omission is often due to the cultural sensitivity of telling people what to eat and the historical oversight of agriculture within climate policy circles. However, journalists and climate advocates stress that because livestock, particularly cattle, are a major source of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—and meat consumption drives massive deforestation for grazing land, the issue is “increasingly indefensible” to ignore in climate coverage.