"We have to think about what kind of meat we eat and find alternatives to beef and lamb. It's good meat, but we have to think about finding more resource-friendly options," says Carl-Gustaf Thulin, associate professor and director of the centre for wildlife and fish research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, to public radio SR.
According to preliminary figures from the Board of Agriculture, each person in Sweden ate an average of 86 kilograms of meat in 2011. That is a new record, and the increase largely consists of beef.
The growing consumption of beef is believed to lead to an increase of the greenhouse gas methane and a negative impact on the climate. Carl-Gustaf Thulin therefore proposes to focus more on rabbit farming in order to supplement the production of beef.
"Unlike the ruminant animals, the rabbit's carbon footprint is smaller since the level of methane is lower. In this respect, the rabbit would be a better option," says Carl-Gustaf Thulin.