By Abbas Nazil
Food and agriculture are responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, second only to fossil fuels.
Yet a new analysis by Sentient Media shows that the vast majority of climate crisis coverage in major U.S. outlets fails to acknowledge this critical link.
The review of 940 articles from 11 outlets, including the Guardian, CNN, New York Times and Washington Post, found that only 25 percent mentioned food and agriculture at all.
Just 36 stories, or 3.8 percent, specifically cited animal agriculture, despite meat production being the single largest source of food-related emissions.
Researchers highlighted that meat production alone accounts for nearly 60 percent of the food sector’s climate emissions.
Public understanding is similarly limited.
A 2023 Washington Post and University of Maryland poll found 74 percent of U.S. respondents believed eating less meat has little or no effect on the climate.
Journalists and climate advocates argue this oversight has hindered meaningful action.
Mark Hertsgaard of Covering Climate Now said media often avoids root causes, focusing on short-term developments.
He called the neglect of food and agriculture “gross oversight.”
Experts note that political sensitivities also play a role.
Food is deeply cultural, and policymakers often avoid pushing dietary changes.
Industry groups have also influenced the conversation, with beef producers funding backlash against reports linking meat to environmental damage.
Journalist Michael Grunwald argued the food discussion lags 20 years behind debates on fossil fuels.
Scientists warn that land use tied to livestock drives deforestation and accelerates climate change.
Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, with 80 percent dedicated to grazing or feed crops.
This demand clears a soccer field’s worth of tropical forest every six seconds.
Experts like Timothy Searchinger and the World Resources Institute stress that moderating meat consumption in wealthy countries could prevent further deforestation, even with a population of 10 billion.
Researchers conclude that without addressing livestock and diet, the climate crisis cannot be solved.