Global meat consumption has increased significantly over the last six decades, creating a tension between food security in developing regions and environmental sustainability in industrialized nations.

過去六十年，全球肉類消費顯著增加，導致開發中地區的糧食安全與工業化國家的環境永續性之間產生緊張關係。

Historical data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicates a fourfold increase in global meat supply since 1961, with per capita poultry and pork consumption rising to 17kg and 15kg respectively by 2022. While this expansion has mitigated malnutrition in low-income jurisdictions, it has precipitated a systemic ecological burden. Animal agriculture currently accounts for 12-20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and serves as a primary driver of biodiversity loss. Projections suggest that livestock will contribute approximately 80% of a forecasted 7.6% increase in agricultural emissions over the coming decade.

聯合國糧食及農業組織 (FAO) 的歷史數據顯示，自 1961 年起全球肉類供應增加四倍，至 2022 年，人均禽類與豬肉消費量分別上升至 17 公斤與 15 公斤。雖然此擴張緩解了低收入地區的營養不良問題，但卻造成了系統性的生態負擔。動物農業目前佔全球溫室氣體排放量的 12-20%，且是生物多樣性喪失的主要驅動因素。預測顯示，在未來十年，農業排放量預計將增加 7.6%，而畜牧業將貢獻其中約 80%。

Stakeholder positioning reveals a divergence between scientific consensus and institutional policy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies a transition toward plant-rich diets as a critical demand-side mitigation strategy. Conversely, the FAO has been criticized by academic researchers, including representatives from the Stockholm Environment Institute and New York University, for omitting explicit recommendations for meat reduction in wealthy nations. The FAO maintains that its objective is the optimization of animal-source nutrients while utilizing technological innovation to attenuate emissions.

利益相關者的立場揭示了科學共識與機構政策之間的分歧。政府間氣候變化專門委員會 (IPCC) 將向植物主導飲食的轉型視為關鍵的需求端減緩策略。相反地，FAO 受到包括斯德哥爾摩環境研究所與紐約大學代表在內的學術研究人員批評，認為其未針對富裕國家明確提出減少肉類消費的建議。FAO 則主張其目標是在利用技術創新降低排放的同時，優化動物源營養。

Concurrent with these trends, a market bifurcation has emerged in developed economies. The proliferation of plant-based alternatives and the rise of 'flexitarianism'—notably in Germany—suggest a societal shift. However, this trend is countered by institutional efforts to preserve the dominance of the meat industry. Such measures include European Union legislative restrictions on the nomenclature of plant-based substitutes and the promotion of animal-heavy diets by the United States administration. Furthermore, the systemic risk of antimicrobial resistance is highlighted by FAO projections, which anticipate a nearly 33% increase in livestock antibiotic usage over the next 15 years absent state intervention.

與這些趨勢同時，發達經濟體中出現了市場分叉現象。植物基替代品的普及與「彈性素食主義」的興起（尤其在德國）顯示出社會轉向。然而，這一趨勢受到旨在維持肉類工業主導地位之機構努力的抵制。此類措施包括歐盟對植物基替代品命名方式的立法限制，以及美國政府對高肉類飲食的推廣。此外，FAO 的預測凸顯了抗生素耐藥性的系統性風險，預計若無政府干預，未來 15 年畜牧業的抗生素使用量將增加近 33%。

Global meat supply continues to expand despite documented environmental degradation and public health risks, with institutional resistance hindering the adoption of plant-based dietary shifts in high-income countries.

儘管環境惡化與公共衛生風險已成事實，全球肉類供應仍持續擴張，且機構的阻力阻礙了高收入國家採納植物基飲食轉型。