EU subsidies for beef and lamb are 580 times higher than for pulses, despite scientists urging people to get more protein from less harmful sources, a report has found.
An analysis by the charity FoodRice found that the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides an “unfair” level of support for meat-heavy diets that doctors consider unhealthy and climate scientists consider environmentally destructive.
Beef and lamb were 580 times more subsidized than pulses in 2020, while pork received almost 240 times more subsidy. Whereas, dairy received 554 times more subsidies than nuts and seeds.
The EU spends almost a third of its budget on supporting farmers, with the majority of CAP funding allocated based on farm size rather than strategic considerations. Meat and dairy — which use land to grow crops to feed animals — take a larger share than plants, especially after accounting for subsidies on feed.
Martin Bowman, campaigner at FoodRice and author of the report, said the analysis showed that livestock benefited from disproportionate support before accounting for hidden social costs such as pollution.
“It is scandalous to use billions of euros of EU taxpayers’ money to promote such a high-emissions industry at a time when scientists are telling us to switch to less-meat – on health and environmental grounds,” he said.
The data comes from an academic study available as a preprint that identified EU subsidies for various foods in 2020 using the same methods as a study published in Nature Food in 2024. Some experts expressed alarm about the level of disparity found in the first study, but did not dispute that it exists.
Annick Courtlev, a researcher at Leiden University and lead author of the academic study, said it showed that reforms were needed to take account of the full range of subsidies flowing through livestock feed, rather than direct payments to livestock farms.
“Our analysis shows that CAP support is highly concentrated in animal-based foods relative to the calories they provide, while plant proteins such as legumes receive much less support,” she said. This is happening “despite EU strategies for health and sustainability calling for a more plant-rich diet”.
The report found that in 2020 meat and dairy received subsidies of €39bn, fruit and vegetables €3.6bn, and cereals €2.4bn. Cows and sheep, which require more land than animals such as pigs or chickens, benefit from subsidies targeted at struggling regions and sectors on top of hectare-based payments.
Several green strings are tied to CAP payments from 2023, but experts do not expect the overall composition of EU farms to change significantly.
In 2024, a “strategic dialogue” between farmers, supermarkets, scientists and green groups – Ursula van der Leyen, president of the European Commission, quelled angry farmers’ protests – agreed to eat more animal protein than scientists recommend and called for support to shift diets towards plants.
Donal Murphy-Bockern, an agronomist working for the food and agriculture ministries in the UK and Germany and who was not involved in the study, said Europe’s protein economy is “not operating within stable limits”.
He said that considering public health in the policy would challenge the current level of livestock production. “We now need a common agrifood policy that clearly integrates environmental and public health objectives in how to support EU farmers.”
Improvements in alternative proteins and the emerging consumer shift to reduce meat consumption have been resisted by big farming lobbies and some politicians. In November, the EU Parliament voted to ban plant-based foods from using terms such as “steak”, “burger” and “sausage” unless they contain animal meat.
The vote was derided by green groups, which pointed to approved regulations such as dairy-free peanut butter or dog-free hotdogs. The proposal also divided conservatives, with some saying it violated free market ideals.
Bowman said politicians are deeply involved in influencing food production and consumption. “Don’t trust meat and dairy companies who say politicians who promote healthy and sustainable food are telling people what to eat,” he said. “It’s a lot A cynical position.”
