Toward "Better" Meat? Aligning Meat Sourcing Strategies with Corporate Climate and Sustainability Goals

The World Resources Institute report provides a framework for consumer-facing food companies to align meat sourcing with climate and sustainability goals, cautioning that 'better meat' production systems can sometimes result in higher environmental impacts per kilogram of protein than conventional systems.

• The report notes that 'better meat' lacks a standardized definition and may encompass environmental, social, ethical, or economic attributes, often linked to alternative agricultural production systems. Research indicates that these 'better meat' production systems frequently lead to higher environmental impacts per kilogram of protein, despite potential improvements in animal welfare.
• To balance climate and nature goals with 'better meat' sourcing, the report recommends a six-step strategy: calculating scope 3 GHG emissions baselines, shifting from high-emissions products (such as beef and lamb) to plant-based foods or alternative proteins, defining priorities by product, assessing environmental impacts of new strategies, shifting to 'even less meat' if impacts increase, and engaging suppliers to track progress.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Toward "Better" Meat? Aligning Meat Sourcing Strategies with Corporate Climate and Sustainability Goals. https://www.wri.org/research/better-meat-sourcing-climate-sustainability-goals

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Toward "Better" Meat? Aligning Meat Sourcing Strategies with Corporate Climate and Sustainability Goals. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/better-meat-sourcing-climate-sustainability-goals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Toward "Better" Meat? Aligning Meat Sourcing Strategies with Corporate Climate and Sustainability Goals |url=https://www.wri.org/research/better-meat-sourcing-climate-sustainability-goals |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendtoward, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Toward "Better" Meat? Aligning Meat Sourcing Strategies with Corporate Climate and Sustainability Goals}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/better-meat-sourcing-climate-sustainability-goals}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }