There are lots of reasons for people to go vegan: health benefits, food allergies, animal rights, you get the idea. I went vegan for animal rights but also for the environment. Most people wouldn’t associate their dietary choices to affect the environment at all and especially not at the level it really does. I went vegan on September 29, 2018 and I have looked back—or had a cheat snack—since.
Climate change is internationally recognized as a significant public health issue, most recently acknowledged by the Paris Climate Agreement in December of 2015, and its impact on food security is one area of concern. According to a report of the Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the production of livestock accounts for 40% of land use globally and 70% of all agricultural land. It’s no surprise that it’s a major contributor to environmental problems related to climate change including, freshwater pollution and availability, and biodiversity.
The human population is 7 billion, but the livestock population is more than double that at 20 billion. With the growing human population comes the growing demand for milk, meat and eggs and the earth cannot afford to sustain our current state of food production.
Based on research and statistics from the Department of Agriculture, producing the equivalent amount of protein from meat takes 11 times the amount of fossil fuel use compared to a plant-based protein. Further, producing the equivalent amount of animal protein takes 100 times more water than for vegetable protein. The livestock industry is one of the major strains on the earth’s available freshwater, both in quantity and quality.
Globally, there are increasing problems of freshwater shortage, with a projected 64% of the population living in water-stressed areas by the year 2025. The livestock industry is directly responsible for using one third of the world’s fresh water, which is becoming increasingly rare through privatization and pollution from the antibiotics and waste from cattle that contaminate water.
Biodiversity is rapidly decreasing with the loss of species estimated between 50 to 500 times greater than prior rates found in fossil records, meaning that we are now facing a global biodiversity crisis that has been unprecedented since the last ice age. Livestock’s threat to biodiversity is largely through occupying land that was once a habitat for wildlife. About 80% of all Amazon deforestation is due to cattle-raising.
In my ideal world, everyone would live a plant-based lifestyle. However, we do not live in my ideal world. There are several factors that can limit people from enjoying a healthier and more environmentally conscious diet including: a lack of access to fresh produce due to food deserts, the inability to afford healthier foods, and the absence of exposure or education relating to this issue. Veganism is not for everyone, but for those able and willing, it can be extremely physically, mentally, and emotionally rewarding. If you can’t make the switch to vegan or vegetarian, try your best to avoid meat and animal by-products whenever you can. Order the ratatouille instead of the steak. Substitute your all-beef patty with a veggie burger. Reach for the almond milk instead of the 2%. No effort is too small, especially when working together.
