Chinese Government Recommends Citizens Cut Meat Consumption by Over 50 Percent

21 Jun 2016 --- The Chinese government is urging its citizens to cuts their meat consumption by more than half, in an effort to curb obesity and diabetes.

The Chinese health ministry is recommending that the country's citizens should now eat around 27kg of meat a year.

Currently, its citizens eat on average of around 63kg of meat a year, however this is expected to increase significantly unless the new guidelines are adopted.

It is also hoped that as well as helping public health, the new recommendations could help curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The guidelines are updated every 10 years and come as China's population continues to soar and now stands at around 1.3 billion.

According to a report in the Guardian, Li Jenfeung, director general of China’s National Center on Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, said: “Through this kind of lifestyle change, it is expected that the livestock industry will transform and carbon emissions will be reduced."

“Tackling climate change involves scientific judgement, political decisions, entrepreneurial support, but at last, it still relies on involvement of the general public to change the consumption behavior in China. Every single one of us has to believe in the low-carbon concept and slowly adapt to it.”