Veganism can positively impact both our health and environment. But it can be an overwhelming topic. So whether you’re already vegan, or just thinking of making more of your meals plant-based, here’s a breakdown of how it can help in the face of our current climate crisis.
We know that, done right, veganism can positively impact both our health and the environment. But with an avalanche of information available, it can be an overwhelming topic. So whether you’re already vegan, or just thinking of making more of your meals plant-based, here’s a breakdown of how it can help in the face of our current climate crisis.
2019 is officially the year of the vegan. The hashtag #vegan has now been used some 85.8 million times on Instagram, perhaps the most millennial marker of a lifestyle choice gone mainstream. The Economist has reported that the vegan food business is booming, with sales of vegan foods last year rising 10 times faster than food sales as a whole in the US. Even the former CEO of McDonalds, Don Thompson, now sits on the board of one of the leading plant-based burger companies, Beyond Meat.
We know that, done right, veganism can positively impact both our health and the environment. But with an avalanche of information available, it can be an overwhelming topic. So whether you’re already vegan, or just thinking of making more of your meals plant-based, here’s a breakdown of how it can help in the face of our current climate crisis.
The sheer expanse of land used across the world to rear livestock is mind-boggling. According to a 2018 report by the journal Science (based on almost 40,00 farms in 119 countries, covering 40 food products that represent 90 percent of all those eaten) meat, fish, eggs and dairy account for 83 percent of the world’s farmland. Which means that producing just five percent of the world’s calories creates 40 percent of the global environmental burden. Even the lowest impact animal products exceed the average impacts of plant-based alternatives.
It’s down to these global farming practices that, according to Global Citizen’s estimate, 700 million tonnes of food that could be consumed by humans goes to feed livestock every year. And with a population that’s due to hit almost 10 billion by 2050, at its current pace of growth, there’s unlikely to be enough land left on the planet to continue to raise livestock for animal produce. So, placing more significance on plant-based production is a viable solution that could help keep the world well-fed into the foreseeable future.
Water and Pollution
The figures for water used in the livestock industry are astronomical. To produce one kilogram of beef, 13,000 litres of water are needed – while producing the same amount of corn needs just 500 litres.
Aside from using the water, animal agriculture also leads to water pollution, as animal waste is discharged into waterways. A report by the UN, entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow, found that in most of the developing world, untreated manure enters water used by people for drinking, washing and bathing. There’s also an influx of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and fertiliser from feed crops, which can kill fish and algal blooms, jeopardising the health of freshwater.
Cutting down on animal agriculture, and upping demand for plant-based produce will create a ripple effect to improve the world’s water sources.
Deforestation and Carbon
The world loses roughly the size of Panama each year to deforestation, which accelerates the rate of climate change as, at present, forests store as much as 45 percent of land carbon. Carbon can be stored by plants above ground (trees, shrubs, herbs), at ground level (fallen leaves and deadwood), and below ground (plant roots and soil). A large portion of this deforestation is a direct result of raising livestock; clearing large areas of land (including trees) to make way for animals to roam.
Opting to cultivate plants instead of animals would enrich rather than strip the soil of nutrients, provide greater resilience to the ground, and introduce less pollutant by-products than animal agriculture. Carbon storage would be positively impacted too. Carbon Brief reported on a recent study, which found that introducing additional tree species to monoculture plantations could greatly improve carbon storage: each additional species increases the total carbon stock by 6.4 percent.
Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
From feeding livestock to transportation and refrigeration, every stage in animal agriculture requires a huge amount of resources. (That’s not to say that plant production requires none, but it has a considerably reduced impact.)
Farming emissions – which produce methane – make up between 14.5 and 18 percent of total global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. Meanwhile, transport – which creates CO2 – is responsible for around 14 percent. “Methane is 23 times more potent when it comes to warming the planet,” says Eco Watch.
According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, entitled tackling Climate Change Through Livestock’, beef and dairy production are accountable for the highest number of emissions (20 percent). They found a direct link between the intensity of GHG emissions and the efficiency with which producers use natural resources – so, alleviating the climate crisis relies directly on practices that better conserve energy resources.
Another study looking at animal agriculture in the US went a step further – suggesting that if livestock production ceased completely, agricultural GHG emissions would drop by at least 28 percent.
Sustainability and Ethics
According to Philip Lymbery’s Farmaggeddon, households waste approximately 570,000 tonnes of fresh meat each year. In terms of livestock, this is 50 million chickens, 1.5 million pigs and 100,000 beef cattle. Globally that’s close to 12 billion animals, literally going to waste.
The decision to give up meat can have multiple motivations – whether it be, as above, waste reduction and sustainability, or animal ethics and the environment. Yes, veganism is a personal life choice, and one that involves a major shift, but it’s something we can all take steps towards to start making a difference on a global – and planetary – scale.
Original article:www.vogue.co.uk/