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No Beef, Lamb, Milk and Cheese Within 25 Years Under Net Zero, Government-Funded Report Confirms

by Chris Morrison
16 April 2025 9:00 AM

Achieving Net Zero in 25 years would need a “complete transformation” of the UK’s agricultural and food system that would in effect mean a diet devoid of beef, lamb and all dairy products, according to the latest work from the Government-funded UK FIRES. Look at the research that governing elites commission and read, not what they say. UK FIRES takes an absolute view of Net Zero and bases its work on existing technologies, not the pie in the sky inventions still to come and the whacky schemes that cannot reach economic scale. UK FIRES is an influential body since it takes a rare honest approach to Net Zero. Among the horrors outlined in its latest report is a future reliance on highly-processed food – industrial test-tube sludge in other words. Using labs to produce just 0.4% of the projected demand for meat in 2030 would involve a capacity “20 times that of the current pharmaceutical industry”, observe the authors.

The need to collapse the existing agro-food system is said to present opportunities for the creation of “hybrid” food products. Animal fat, presumably from non-belching beasts, can be processed to give “definitive flavour and mouth feel of meat” and these can be combined with plant-based ingredients. Alternative proteins (not detailed, but there is much support elsewhere for fly larvae and mealworm flour) might be used in highly processed foods. In future, notes UK FIRES, processed plants might include ingredients from precision fermentation or cultivated fats. These are all held together by half of the chemistry lab including stabilisers, colourings, E numbers and preservatives – though UK FIRES inexplicably fails to give the detail on this. And not forgetting masses of salt and sugar, a common staple of so-called healthy processed foods designed to give them a semblance of pleasant taste.

Utterly disgusting – readers might prefer to lay in stocks of the dog’s kibble as a healthier and more appetising alternative.

The land currently occupied by productive and generational farmers would see “radical shifts”. The required changes to achieve absolute Net Zero emissions from food systems “would present many opportunities”, argues UK FIRES. There would be competition for “environmental services” and this presumably would include such “opportunities” as nature-destroying wind turbines and solar dead zone parks. Rewilding and carbon capture or sequestration are mentioned. Planning and support for land use “transformation” is said to be needed, and it is said to carry the promise of “large social and environmental benefits”. At this point, it might be observed what a grand start the current anti-farmer Labour Government has made by slapping a recent 20% death tax on small family farms that are passed onto the next generation, or not as the case may now be. That should help clear a bit of space for the new enclosing aristocracy, the subsidy-hunting windmill rentiers.

UK FIRES is funded by a £5 million Government grant and its team of academics is led by Professor Julian Allwood, Professor of Engineering and the Environment at Cambridge University. In the past, its absolutist work forecast a world where Britain would lose 75% of its energy, where flying and shipping along with beef, lamb and dairy would be banned, while bricks, concrete and glass would almost cease to exist. These are all reasonable forecasts if hydrocarbons are suddenly removed from a modern industrial mix. But the academics’ brutal appraisals scare the horses at a time when the British Prime Minister is telling porkies that Net Zero will not affect people’s lifestyles.

The message has probably gone out to tone it down a bit on the banning front, so the latest report on agricultural and food supply is more nuanced. So it is more that we can transform food supply, it will all be a great adventure and economic opportunities will be created everywhere – that sort of guff, straight out of the Ed Miliband songbook. Slashing farmland acreage but boosting pharma-food is supposedly meant to reassure, although such reassurance is unlikely to survive when confronted with reality.

However as we have seen, the authors behind UK FIRES are Net Zero absolutists and the message is still that all greenhouses gases must be removed from agriculture. UK FIRES says this is a complete transformation, which is one way of describing a societal and economic disaster in the making. Artificial fertilisers which use hydrocarbons to add nitrogen to the soil have massively boosted crop yields around the world over the last few decades. Without their use, food supplies would halve, leading to mass starvation and death. With restrictions on the use of imported goods that have connections to hydrocarbons, Britons would gradually starve to death in their millions. Net Zero fanatics, which sadly include many British legislators, somehow draw other conclusions, the better we assume to sustain their virtuous egos.

Meanwhile they are unlikely to be interested in the science around nitrous oxide, the gas produced by the fertiliser. It has warming properties, which in common with other greenhouse gases tend to ‘saturate’ at certain levels, a natural process in the infra-red spectrum that has helped regulate the Earth’s climate over the last 600 million years. A recent paper from four distinguished scientists noted that the atmospheric concentration of N2O was only 0.34 parts per million (ppm) and it was growing at just 0.00085 ppm a year. The entire global food supply is being put at risk for warming identified by the scientists at 0.064°C per century.

Interestingly, the press release accompanying the UK FIRE report highlights the complete elimination of greenhouse gases from British agriculture by 2050, but the actual work fails to address a world without artificial fertiliser. This is somewhat surprising given the vast increases in plant vegetation that will be needed for the new food labs. A number of gas-eliminating technologies are mentioned but it is admitted that they are not currently feasible, while more precision fertiliser application is noted. As if this latter action has not already occurred to commercial farmers. The UK FIRES of old would have made a no-nonsense banning statement, but it seems the current authors, like most other Net Zero cranks, simply ignore the issue.  There is of course a good reason for doing this since there are no solutions, except human hunger.

Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.

Tags: AlarmismFarmingGreenhouse GasesNet ZeroNitrogen fertiliserU.K. FIRES

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51 Comments
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Jeff Chambers
Jeff Chambers
1 month ago

The madleft clown-worlders view of the world is that they think that we need fewer cows and sheep but unlimited immigrants.

Last edited 1 month ago by Jeff Chambers
38
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff Chambers

Hmm, think the immigrant problem might be solved if we become the only country in the world living under the conditions outlined above!

24
0
mrbu
mrbu
1 month ago
Reply to  A. Contrarian

Book me a ticket on the last flight out!

6
0
Hardliner
Hardliner
1 month ago
Reply to  mrbu

…first…

4
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
1 month ago
Reply to  A. Contrarian

A halal butchers near us was raided a couple of years ago. They found sheep carcasses which had identification tags from a local farm which had been suffering thefts. If meat becomes scarce and expensive expect even less observance of food production regulations.

Horsemeat in ready-meal lasagne? That’ll be the least of our worries.

13
0
Jack the dog
Jack the dog
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff Chambers

Standing by for this to be reported on BBC1 in 3-2-1

oops, how strange…

5
0
MrVeryAngry
MrVeryAngry
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff Chambers

Are they intimating that we eat the immigrants? Even though we do have an immigrant issue, I, personally am not up for that.

2
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
1 month ago

Why can’t they just leave the people alone to live their lives unabused!

22
0
Claphamanian
Claphamanian
1 month ago
Reply to  Dinger64

‘They’ wouldn’t have anything to manage if they let people alone.

18
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
1 month ago
Reply to  Claphamanian

‘Manage’ is overstating it.

5
0
Hester
Hester
1 month ago
Reply to  Dinger64

Becasue they believe they know better than us. To them we are the sheep and they are the shepherds. The truth is we are the beasts and they are the slaughterers in the slaughter house.

12
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
1 month ago
Reply to  Hester

But what will happen to the sheep?

Ah.

3
0
EppingBlogger
EppingBlogger
1 month ago
Reply to  Dinger64

Socialists never leave you alone. You might make your own decisions and live better.

14
0
Claphamanian
Claphamanian
1 month ago

The Michelin-starred chefs will have a ‘challenge’ to produce anything creative from whatever is left after all these foods are eliminated. At least eliminated from production in the UK itself. China will be expanding into dairy to supply the black market with it all.

10
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 month ago
Reply to  Claphamanian

Having recently watched an episode of Traffic Cops where they discovered bags and bags of cocaine in the back of someone’s car, I’m now imagining a similar scenario related to cheese. “Have you had any cheese in the last 24 hours, mate?” “What, me, cheese? Oh no officer, don’t touch the stuff” “That’s funny, because your car absolutely stinks of camembert” etc etc.

13
0
Jack the dog
Jack the dog
1 month ago

My trigger finger is itching, metaphorically of course.

11
0
Tyrbiter
Tyrbiter
1 month ago
Reply to  Jack the dog

No metaphors here, if they wish to take away the food we evolved to eat in preference to green slop then that is an existential threat. It should be met in kind with extreme prejudice.

6
0
Jack the dog
Jack the dog
1 month ago
Reply to  Tyrbiter

You’re quite right of course but luckily here in Italy this shit doesn’t seem to be such an issue, and because I presume MI5 monitor comment threads like this I think it is good practice to be a little bit careful when it comes to armed violence.

6
0
Art Simtotic
Art Simtotic
1 month ago

Net Zero, Absolute Zero, Zero-Sum Games – academia’s Klimate-Kommissar Humanity-Haters leading The Great Leap Backwards to the nirvana of 2050’s Year Zero.

No limit to the evil these academician berks come up with in order to get their rocks off Telling Other People What To Do.

Someone please send for a length of sturdy rope and directions to the nearest street lamp.

Last edited 1 month ago by Art Simtotic
9
0
DiscoveredJoys
DiscoveredJoys
1 month ago
Reply to  Art Simtotic

Most modern street lamps do not have much of a horizontal arm. I wonder why?

9
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 month ago

Would love to know how Professor Julian Allwood currently lives his life. Just taking a punt here, but I’m willing to bet he does not live according to his principles (i.e. in a mud hut, wearing clothing made from worm casts or something similar, no transport, no holidays, no medical treatment unless it involves herbs, no TV, computers or mobile phones, no use of anything that is hydrocarbon-derived…).

Personally I think these plans are too mad for all but the maddest Net Zero advocates and unlikely to come to fruition, but it’s still worrying that this is officially out there.

19
0
Lockdown Sceptic
Lockdown Sceptic
1 month ago

Net Zero Bans Meat and Dairy

8
0
Heretic
Heretic
1 month ago
Reply to  Lockdown Sceptic

And fish.

3
0
DiscoveredJoys
DiscoveredJoys
1 month ago

And if it turned out that climate change was driven by solar cycles and orbital mechanics – and that carbon dioxide had a trivial effect – would The Zealots That Be change their policies back to the ‘good old days’ or would they press on with their authoritarian control?

I think we know the answer – keeping your own chickens could be a revolutionary act.

16
0
Jon Garvey
Jon Garvey
1 month ago
Reply to  DiscoveredJoys

No chance – chickens all dutifully registered according to current regulation, and whole national flock culled the next time a pet gerbil catches bird flu in Guatemala.

17
0
Jack the dog
Jack the dog
1 month ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

Yes but if you have your own hens and a cockerel and a suitable incubator they have no chance of controlling your numbers. You just need a bit of space and intelligent management.

5
0
Jon Garvey
Jon Garvey
1 month ago

I was a young man back in the 1960s.
Well, you made your own amusement then, going to the pictures.
When the travel was hard – and I mean we still used the wheel –
But you could sit down at your table and eat a real food meal.
(Incredible String Band prophecy, 1967)

6
0
Hester
Hester
1 month ago

I wonder how he lives? Does he live in a home made of bricks? cement? wood? Or is he doing the responsible thing and living in a mud house?. How does he heat and cook? I assume he lives purely on a plant and insect diet with the odd bit of fake meat. His home must be heated by blankets made of hemp as solar panels destroy the environment and likewise windmills cannot be disposed of safely, plus they use concrete.

In terms of eating I assume he grows all his own food and ensures his family follow the same strictures that he does. I assume clothing is all at least second hand or produced by his wife spinning locally grown hemp. I assume lighting is provided by tallow made from sustainable sources, probably in future provided by human bodies.

In going to work I assume he walks, or uses a sustainably produced natural bicycle.
I assume he does not use a computer as these use vital resources from the earth and need electricity to power.

When he is ill of course he will only use plants as in medieval times or the odd leech.
travel and holidays abroad must be out of the question as this would be a betrayal of the correct way to live,

Perhaps the Prof and his colleagues at FIRE might like to set out for us exactly how they are living the dream wlong with their families, that they intend to force on to the rest of us. If he cannot then perhaps he should do a year of living by his edicts and then come tell us all about it, thats if he survives that long.

10
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 month ago
Reply to  Hester

Exactly what I said above. Anyone proposing such radical changes to everyone else’s way of living should be forced to live as they themselves are proposing, with absolutely no exceptions for anything. As it stands, I think they somehow imagine they will be exceptions to the rule because they are doing such important work, or actually more likely they have so little imagination that they just can’t imagine how awful it would really be.

Depressing though it all is, I really don’t think it will get this far so I’m trying not to worry too much.

Last edited 1 month ago by A. Contrarian
5
0
JXB
JXB
1 month ago

Long before this, the whole Net Zero/Climate change hoax will go the way of CoVid – embarrassed politicians, media and other loonies pretending it never really happened, wasn’t a big deal, relied on the “best” science at the time, mistakes were made, but “we need to move on”.

Note: “hoax” means something deliberate intended to deceive and/or defraud. It doesn’t mean joke or prank as some think.

13
0
Tonka Rigger
Tonka Rigger
1 month ago
Reply to  JXB

Yup, I agree. The arse is falling right out of it and has been for some time.

6
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 month ago
Reply to  JXB

Something else will come along instead though, it always does!

2
0
LizT
LizT
1 month ago
Reply to  JXB

Embarrassed politicians? I’ve yet to meet one, they have no shame

0
0
MadWolf303
MadWolf303
1 month ago

Talk about a vote winner……still when we lock them up, they’ll be cheap to feed, just toss in some grass and a bit of bark,…..

6
0
WillP
WillP
1 month ago

When psychopaths meet climate alarmism.

7
0
Ardandearg
Ardandearg
1 month ago

Hands off my lamb, beef, milk and cheese. I hope this is not clearing the decks for chlorinated chicken. Or is it just clearing the fields for more solar abominations?

3
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
1 month ago

I predict this is used as the ‘this is what we ought to do, but we’re pragmatic so we’ll only limit you to one lamb chop one a month instead of a full ban. There, aren’t we the Good Guys?’.

2
0
Grim Ace
Grim Ace
1 month ago

I predict within 10 years that all members of UK FIRES will be on trial, followed by long prison sentences, for treason against the welfare and happiness of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish peoples
This will follow the Great Civil War which will enable the deportation of all unwanted illegals and misbehaving immigrants.

6
0
Jabby Mcstiff
Jabby Mcstiff
1 month ago

Beef is important to Aryans and so is leather. There is no future of humanity without the guidance of the Aryans.

1
0
Spiritof_GFawkes
Spiritof_GFawkes
1 month ago

I did, for a moment, wonder why beef and lamb would be banned but not pork. Then I realised that all the pigs will keep on going because they are in parliament with their noses in the trough!

6
0
DontPanic
DontPanic
1 month ago

Before they waste taxpayers money on these reports the government should address the fact that there is no evidence of increased severe weather events, death from climate related incidents has decreased and sea levels are not rising. Also we have increased crop yields instead of the predicted in every IPCC report crash in yields. In other words climate change predictions are total fantasy

4
0
VAX FREE IanC
VAX FREE IanC
1 month ago
Reply to  DontPanic

But you won’t hear about that on the BBC / ITV etc.

2
0
Myra
Myra
1 month ago

Report from the Netherlands:
Health agency found high levels of PFAS (microplastics) in eggs , especially from chickens kept in backyards, not so much in eggs sold in supermarkets. So this was on the national news with an apology it was just before Easter.
Moving people away from their own food production….

2
0
JXB
JXB
1 month ago
Reply to  Myra

Microplastics – the new horror in the war on plastics.

0
0
Norfolk-Sceptic
Norfolk-Sceptic
1 month ago

This aspect of the NET Zero Agenda is yet another example of government proclaiming a future successful outcome, before any thought, engagement with those of relevant experience, or serious analysis has been done on behalf of the voters, and then continuing with the agenda, in spite of the accumulating evidence that it shouldn’t have started in the first place.

IIRC, when I first encountered UK FIRES, I wondered whether it was ‘putting flesh on the bones’ of the absurd ‘oven ready’ Green policies, so highlighting the futility of it all, and the waste, and destruction. If so, it hasn’t had much effect on those driving the agenda.

2
0
Prickly Thistle
Prickly Thistle
1 month ago

Utterly terrifying what these lunatics have in store for us.

1
0
Covid-1984
Covid-1984
1 month ago

Yes Ed, I’m sure your Halal meat friendly mates will love that on. Dream on. How did 1930’s prohibition pan out??…. crickets…….👂

1
0
Hugh
Hugh
1 month ago

And we pay for these fantasies? This should have been posted on April 1st and I would have chuckled, today I gagged.

1
0
Pembroke
Pembroke
1 month ago

Is not lamb a staple food of our middle eastern ‘invaders’? Will they allow the government they thought was doing everything for them (as it seems to an indigenous native) to ban their principal food source?

1
0
The Real Engineer
The Real Engineer
1 month ago
Reply to  Pembroke

And Goats, again not mentioned. I assume Halal meat is not allowed under the EU regulations? Halal probably prohibits factory junk too, unless it is “passed” by an Imam?

1
0
DontPanic
DontPanic
1 month ago

This guy appears to do very well out of all the grants etc so no wonder he wants to keep the fake climate change narrative going. However comments appear to be turned off on his YouTube videos so he appears unable to deal with criticism of his preposterous climate claims.

0
0

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