Maneka Gandhi. (PTI file photo)

HYDERABAD: Union minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday said people should eat lab-grown meat instead of regular meat as methane released by animals is the biggest contributor to global warming .

"This (global warming) is leading to extreme disasters like the floods in Kerala, tsunami in Tamil Nadu and the melting of glaciers...We are losing forests. If there are cattle, there will be more crises like Kerala," she said while addressing researchers and entrepreneurs here.

"If we get rid of animals meant for meat production, methane will come down," she added.

The Union minister said that cattle was "dividing" Hindus and Muslims. "People are not eating meat. Meat is eating people," she added.

She said while animals contributed to 70 per cent of methane, only 30 per cent was due to burning coal and growing rice. "We can no longer afford to eat meat. The year 2008 witnessed the highest meat consumption , and it has doubled now.

The number of meat-eating population is growing in India and China. "What is meat eating doing to us? When herbivorous animals eat grass, they produce methane. This damages forests and impacts climate change. India, China and Brazil are not allowing methane to be discussed on global platforms and the West is allowing this to happen."

"We tried, but cannot convert people into vegetarians. For a few days they are vegetarians. And then they go back to their old habit. I don't want to destroy my life and my plants for meat eaters," Maneka said.

