EU plant: 90% emissions cut by 2040

EU plant: 90% emissions cut by 2040

The European Commission has presented a roadmap of over 600 pages, the Economic Memorandum, which sets a 55% emissions reduction for 2030 compared to 1990 levels and a 90% cut in non-CO₂ emissions—including methane—by 2040. The document arrives amid tension with the agricultural sector, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledging that transforming food production without compromising supply will be one of the major challenges. Key pillars include reducing the prominence of livestock farming, especially extensive grazing, and opening the door to alternatives: lab-grown cultivated meat and 3D-printed products.

What the Brussels roadmap says about red meat

The document does not speak of banning steaks, but rather of marginalizing them. The community strategy points towards a diet with less red meat due to its environmental impact and health risks associated with high consumption. The 90% reduction in non-CO₂ emissions directly affects methane generated by agri-livestock activities, which is the argument supporting the entire framework. Some argue that extensive livestock farming is superior in terms of quality and closed-loop systems: cows eat grass, and everything they expel comes from that grass, which previously captured the same compounds from the atmosphere or soil. If more grass is planted, the balance would be net zero. This nuance is absent from the document.

Mosa Meat applies to sell cultivated meat in the EU

The Dutch company Mosa Meat has submitted an application to the EU to market cultivated meat within the community. If approved, it would be the first company authorized to sell synthetic meat in Europe. It produces fat and muscle tissue from cells extracted from living cows, then combines these components with plant-based ingredients to mimic the texture and taste of traditional meat, according to CEO Maarten Bosch. In San Sebastián operates one of the largest cultivated meat production plants on the continent, BioTech Foods, aiming to establish Spain as a key player in the new food model. Critics argue that preventing cell death after a few divisions requires manipulating telomeres—the safety mechanism limiting them—which colloquially resembles cancer, or cultivating defective fast-growing cells, potentially with prion proteins as a side effect. The debate on the food safety of these products remains open.

Pesticides, carbon capture, and the rest of the package

Brussels also aims to halve the use of chemical pesticides by 2030. To meet targets without sacrificing ecological balance, European authorities are betting on carbon capture, synthetic fuels, and other emerging technologies. The complete package—quotas, pesticides, emissions, alternatives—is what has triggered alarms in the primary sector and fueled agricultural protests in various member states. The overarching question is one of scale: if the EU reduces its emissions while the rest of the planet maintains meat consumption and burns coal, what is the point? The official answer is not found in the 600 pages.

The economic cost: who pays for the transition

The plan has an economic aspect that is not always explicit. If red meat becomes expensive or rationed via prices, consumption shifts to alternatives, which are currently more costly to produce. Some argue the real goal is to make protein cheaper for elites and more expensive for everyone else, while others calculate that the cost differential between traditional and cultivated meat will close with industrial scale. A detailed breakdown reveals surprising differences. What is clear is that the transition will not be free: someone will pay for the restructuring of agriculture, research into bioreactors, and the dismantling of part of the livestock herd.

What happens with self-consumption and home breeding

The shadow looming over the plan is that of self-consumption. If Brussels tightens meat consumption, what happens to those who raise pigs in their backyard or hunt their own wild boars? Some cite experiences with eggs from home-raised hens—fines of up to €3,000 for consuming eggs laid by your own hen—as evidence that bureaucracy does not distinguish between industrial farms and family coops. Warnings are already being issued: if you get fined €3,000 for a chicken, it will be over €30,000 for a pig. Some consider the parallel market alternative: importing cured meats from China to have something decent for Christmas. This is no joke.

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The plan moves forward. Cultivated meat awaits authorization, pesticide cuts have dates, and farmers remain in the streets. With these elements, the shopping basket of 2040 will not resemble that of 2024. What is not written in any of the 600 pages is who will put the first lab steak on the table, or at what price. That detail remains unanswered.