The results are striking: these hidden costs amount to approximately €50 billion annually—costs that are not reflected in retail prices but are instead borne by society at large.

🔹 Around €21 billion are caused by environmental and climate damages related to meat production. These include greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, pesticide and fertilizer use in animal feed production, and air pollution through fine particulate matter and other harmful substances.

🔹 The health sector faces costs of more than €16 billion due to the excessive consumption of red meat, ham, and sausages, which significantly increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

🔹 Additionally, excessive sugar consumption contributes to obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but also to dental diseases such as caries and periodontitis, causing nearly €12 billion in extra healthcare costs each year in Germany alone.

With a population of roughly 84 million, this equates to about €600 per person per year—a burden carried silently by the public and the healthcare system.

But these are not German issues alone. Across the globe, dietary habits and their external impacts pose serious and growing challenges. The findings highlight the urgency of aligning food systems with public health and environmental sustainability.

It is important to highlight these findings and contribute to raising international awareness of the true costs of our diets. Addressing these challenges requires a global conversation about the sustainability of our food systems—one that includes environmental and health perspectives alike.

🔗 Read the full report (in German) – Greenpeace