Which food item, if eliminated from the diet, would most significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Eliminating beef from the diet would most significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to several factors associated with beef production. Cattle are known to produce high levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during digestion through a process called enteric fermentation. Additionally, the lifecycle of beef production— which includes land use for grazing, feed production, and manure management—contributes to significant emissions throughout.

Compared to other livestock, beef has a much higher carbon footprint per unit of protein produced. For instance, studies have shown that producing beef requires more resources, such as land and water, and leads to greater environmental degradation compared to chicken, pork, and lamb. Therefore, removing beef from diets would have a more substantial impact on reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions compared to the other options.