A new report by Zero Carbon Analytics has found that excessive red and processed meat consumption is causing a significant chronic disease burden and high rates of premature mortality in some countries. According to the analysis, global meat consumption increased by 20% from 2002 to 2022. The report cites research showing that red and processed meat consumption is linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Certain countries have better health outcomes than their peers despite similar or higher levels of meat consumption; however, this comes with higher healthcare spending. “At the moment, public money is being used to pay the externalised costs of processed meat giants.