We all know that going vegan is the best thing you can do to help stop the exploitation of animals. But did you know that a recent Oxford University study has found that it’s also the best thing you can do as an individual to reduce your environmental impact? Animal agriculture is a leading cause of climate change, ocean dead zones, deforestation and species extinction, it emits heavily and it is astonishingly wasteful, using vast amounts of land and water.
the impacts of animal products can markedly exceed those of vegetable substitutes, to such a degree that meat, aquaculture, eggs, and dairy use ~83% of the world’s farmland and contribute 56 to 58% of food’s different emissions, despite providing only 37 of our protein and 18% of our calories. Can animal products be produced with sufficiently low impacts to redress this vast imbalance? Or will reducing animal product consumption deliver greater environmental benefits? We find that the impacts of the lowest-impact animal products exceed average impacts of substitute vegetable proteins across GHG emissions, eutrophication, acidification (excluding nuts), and frequently land use. These stark differences are not apparent in any product groups except protein-rich products and milk.
Poore and Nemecek, Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers, 2018
Animal based farming is so inefficient and wasteful because of feed conversion ratios. “Meat makes for curious math: about 25 calories is required to create just 1 calorie of beef. The ratio for pork is nearer 15-to-1. Even the most efficient meat, chicken, requires 9 calories of input to produce just 1 calorie of food….the consumption of chicken [can be likened] to tossing eight plates of pasta in the trash for every one that we eat” (ref).
As temperature rises with ongoing climate change, we will see more drought. In fact, if we carry on as we are, almost half the world will be in permanent drought by 2050. We will also see sea level rise and flooding that will ruin the potential of vast amounts of land for crop growth. This means that our global food system is at extreme risk. In our life times. We can’t afford to waste calories in this way.
It might seem daunting to transition to a vegan lifestyle if you’ve never tried it before, but switching out a few meals at a time and building up a repertoire so that over a transition period you can replace all your favourite recipes with vegan alternatives is a great way to do it. It’s a good idea to keep going and cut out other animal products from you life. Don’t forget that leather and wool both come from animal farming and these carry the same environmental risks as food. Cleaning products, toiletries and clothes can be swapped out as they run or wear out, giving you lots of time to find your feet.
If you’re worried about nutrition on a vegan diet, two respected and mainstream bodies have endorsed a well planned plant based diet for health. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US and the NHS in the UK have both agreed that nutritionally adequate vegan diets are not only appropriate for all stages of the life cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes, they also help reduce the risk for certain diseases.
Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin B-12, such as fortified foods or supplements.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets, 2016
If you are thinking of giving plant based meals a go, Peach and Bumble’s favourite vegan chefs are The Little Blog of Vegan, who makes the cutest and yummiest desserts, and nutritionist Sadia, who runs Pick Up Limes, a fantastic You Tube Channel showing how to make delicious, affordable, nutritious and creative meals. Both of these amazing women have their own recipe books which would make a fabulous addition to your kitchen so that plant based meal ideas are never far from hand.
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