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HEALTH

‘Eat less meat’: Minister calls on Spaniards to cut down on carnivorous habits

Consumer Affairs Minister Alberto Garzón has reignited the debate about Spain's love of meat by asking Spaniards to consume less 'carne' to protect their personal health as well as the future of the planet.

Published: 8 July 2021 13:10 CEST
'Eat less meat': Minister calls on Spaniards to cut down on carnivorous habits
A Spanish butcher cuts ribs at a Madrid market. Photo: Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

“I am worried. I am worried about the planet,” Garzón said in a video posted on Twitter on July 7th, pleading with Spaniards to cut down their meat consumption to improve their personal wellbeing and that of the planet’s.

“Without a planet we have no life, we have no salaries and we have no economy.

“And we are bringing this upon ourselves. One thing we can change, which has a direct impact on the planet, is our diet. We can change our diet and improve the state of the planet”.

Garzón explained that according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the meat and dairy industry accounts for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

He believes that a “50 percent reduction in emissions could be achieved” if Spaniards are able to adjust their diet and consume a moderate amount of meat, which is recommended by the health authorities.

Spain consumes seven million tonnes of meat each year, which comes from the slaughter of 70 million animals.

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition recommends a weekly consumption of between 200 and 500 grammes of meat (carne in Spanish), while Spaniards consume on average more than one kilo. This is between two and five times more than what is considered optimal.

In the video, Garzón also criticised the meat industry and particularly macro-farms, saying that “for us to have one kilo of beef, 15,000 litres of water are required”.

Spanish minister asks people to consume less meat. Photo: Free-Photos / Pixabay

According to FAO data cited in the video, Spain is the country that consumes the most meat in the European Union.

The latest data from Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture also revealed an increase in meat consumption of 10.5 percent in 2020. Per capita consumption is close to 50 kilos per year and each Spaniard spent an average of €350 on meat in 2020.

Garzón continued to say that Spaniards don’t need to cut out meat completely, but should aim to reduce it, changing their diets to include more salads, legumes, rice and vegetables.

He also admitted that “not all types of livestock are the same” and that “extensive farming is much more sustainable than large macro-farms: it helps enrich soils, prevent fires and create jobs”.

Livestock farmers however have rejected Garzón’s recommendation to consume less meat and some associations have already demanded his resignation due to “his erroneous attack”.

The Young Farmers Agricultural Association (Asaja) in the city of Valladolid has issued a statement in which it requests the immediate termination of Garzón as Minister if he does not rectify his statement.

In 2015, the WHO issued a health warning that carcinogens were present in certain types of meat, including jamón, however that didn’t seem to curb Spaniards’ appetite for their most beloved product. 

Despite Spaniards’ excessive consumption of meat, it doesn’t seem to be affecting their health too much, as the Spanish are predicted to have the longest life expectancy in the world by 2040 – mainly thanks to their Mediterranean diet. In 2019, Spain was already considered the healthiest country in the world, according to the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index. 

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SPANISH LAW

Ley ELA: What is Spain’s new neurodegenerative disorders law?

Spain's new 'ALS Law' has been expanded to include all other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 29 April 2024 10:24 CEST
Ley ELA: What is Spain's new neurodegenerative disorders law?

What is Spain’s ELA law?

La ley de ELA (ELA law) was initially created for (and named after) people suffering with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – a degenerative illness that affects around 4000 Spaniards.

The law has seen several iterations in recent months and drafts have been presented by different parties with different alterations and amendments.

It was originally put forward by the centre-right opposition Partido Popular to modify 2006 legislation on Personal Autonomy and Care for dependent persons, and included a specific set of changes for patients diagnosed with ALS, with the underlying aim of speeding up diagnosis and increasing benefits for care.

Why is legislation needed?

In Spain, it is estimated that there are over 1 million people and families affected by a neurodegenerative disease. Due to the characteristics of these disorders and the changing (namely ageing) demographics of Spanish society, their prevalence is increasing. Many struggle to get the appropriate care they need in a timely manner.

The ELA law aims to speed up these processes and better coordinate care between health and social services.

READ ALSO: Older and more diverse: What Spain’s population will be like in 50 years

With regards to ELA specifically, it has long been felt that further legislation was necessary to improve the lives and care of ELA sufferers.

“It is absolutely necessary and humanely essential. We cannot allow people to choose to die every day for economic reasons, when what they really want is to live,” said the Spanish ALS Association in March when previous proposals were put forward.

Why is it back in the news?

Essentially because various parties have put forward drafts and the government coalition of PSOE-Sumar has now made its own proposal, expanding the law beyond ALS suffers to include other neurodegenerative disorders, such as:

  • Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders.
  • Ataxia.
  • Huntington’s disease.
  • Parkinson’s disease.
  • Motor neurone disease.
  • Multiple system atrophy.
  • Progressive supranuclear palsy.

What does the government propose?

By expanding the scope of neurodegenerative disorders covered by the law, the Ministry of Social Rights wants to include the more than 1 million people in Spain who suffer from them, and to give them the benefits previously outlined for ALS sufferers.

In broad strokes, this means creating quicker responses so that people who have been diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases and need care can be assessed and access, in the shortest possible time, the services and benefits available to them.

What will the law actually do?

According to a statement from La Moncloa, one of its main objectives is to “rationalise and reduce procedures as much as possible, to ensure that there is no significant time lag between the process of a disease and the response offered to sufferers by public administrations in all areas.”

The Health Ministry will also update the previous Approach to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which dates back to 2017, to incorporate new goals and actions in the care of people with ALS.

Recommendations for the broader Neurodegenerative Diseases Strategy related to prevention, care and research will also be implemented.

It will include a review of the National Health System’s Portfolio of Services, within the Commission on Benefits, Assurance and Funding of the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System, with regard to neuromuscular diseases, especially in the field of orthoprosthesis.

Coordination between health and social services will be improved, recognising the role of Spain’s regional health services in establishing the necessary coordination procedures so that patients can access multidisciplinary, continuous and “as individualised as possible.”

It will also introduce a benefit (bono social eléctrico) for family’s of neurodegenerative patients that are dependent on a machine connected to the grid.

When will it finally pass?

It’s unclear, despite the fact that most parties in the Spanish Congress are behind the legislation. The final bill should pass fairly easily, however, though it’s unclear when a final vote will actually be held.

Spain’s Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, said this week he is “convinced” that it will be passed during this legislature, swearing that his department will do everything in its power “to achieve it” as soon as possible.

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