Greenwashing “is rampant” in the food sector with meat and dairy companies ranking as the top offenders, Bloomberg writes, citing a report (pdf) by Dutch group Changing Markets Foundation. The report found 53 examples of green claims on food products, pointing to misleading claims on the back of reduced packaging of beef jerky, seaweed-fed cows, climate-controlled pig farms, and climate-neutral certified beer that claimed neutrality through carbon offsetting. Polls by Changing Markets found that consumers were willing to pay extra for climate-neutral products.

The agrifood system produces a third of the world’s emissions: Agrifood systems are responsible for up to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), according to a recent report published in Nature Magazine, while a 2021 report by Chatham House found that it is the primary reason for biodiversity loss. Animal agriculture alone accounts for almost 20% of GHGs and 32% of methane emissions, reports Changing Markets.

The EC is coming for greenwashing offenders: The European Commission is due to publish a set of measures to “crack down on greenwashing by regulating how companies substantiate and communicate their green claims,” according to a statement last week.