Study says taxing meat and livestock production would help prevent future pandemics

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Study says taxing meat and livestock production would help prevent future pandemics

A group of international scientists says one way to help reduce the risk of future deadly pandemics is to levy taxes on livestock production and meat consumption.

The recommendation from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is part of a larger study calling for better protection of nature.  

The scientists say that highly concentrated livestock production is damaging the environment and increasing the risk of new diseases. They say a reduction in the amount of land needed for agriculture would preserve more wild space for animals and lower the risk that diseases will jump from animals to humans.