MEAT'S NOT GREEN!!
By: Naga Vaishnavi Dittakavi
Meat on your plate is killing the planet !!
We have a bone to pick with industrial animal agriculture. You might be thinking that the inhumane practices and incredibly unsanitary conditions on factory farms is our only qualm with the livestock production world, but these are merely additional logs on the fire that fuels our disdain. Increasingly, the animal agriculture industry has become more than an insanely cruel and gross entity, it is also causing major damage to our environment.
Now, when you start messing with BOTH animals and the planet, you are just asking to have a Green Monster unleashed on your behalf. While the direct connection between animal cruelty and factory farming might be readily apparent, the impact that factory farm has on the planet is less so. Since we all eat, every day, multiple times a day, understanding the impact of our food choices (and not just on our waistlines) can be pretty important.
Firstly, raising animals for food is grossly inefficient because while animals eat large quantities of grain, they produce only small amounts of meat, dairy foods or eggs in return. Scientists estimate that animals must be fed up to 10 kilograms of grain to produce just 1 kilogram of meat. The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people – more than the entire human population on Earth.
According to Worldwatch Institute, “In a world where an estimated one in every six people goes hungry every day, the politics of meat consumption are increasingly heated, since meat production is an inefficient use of grain – the grain is used more efficiently when consumed directly by humans. Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grains to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world’s poor”. Researchers have recently warned that we could face serious food shortages because so much of our grain is now going to feed animals instead of people.
The second major issue is the emptying of our oceans. Fishing is causing serious damage to marine environments worldwide. In the past 50 years, the fishing industry has exterminated 90 per cent of large fish populations, and today, 13 of the world’s 17 major fisheries are depleted or in serious decline. Fishing nets capture all the animals in their path, and for every fish that ends up on a plate, many other animals were caught in nets and killed. During one year alone, an average of 16 kilograms of fish were sold per person worldwide – in the same year, 200 kilograms of marine animals per person were hauled up and discarded as by-catch.
Moreover, besides grains, animals need water to survive and grow until they are slaughtered. One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water, whereas a pound of soy requires 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat only 25 gallons. While millions of people around the world are experiencing droughts and water shortages, much of the world’s water supply is being diverted to animal agriculture. As a matter of fact , A pure vegetarian diet requires only 1,137 litres of water per day, while a meat-based diet requires more than 15,160 litres of water per day.
Furthermore , farming livestock (especially cows) for meat requires vast amounts of land. The world’s population is increasing. With a finite amount of space available for global food production, considering the potential yield of a piece of land (i.e. the amount of food that can be produced there) is really important.
For those who can’t give up meat fully, cutting back goes a long way toward helping the environment, as does choosing meat and dairy products from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. “Ultimately, we need better policies and stronger regulations to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production,” says EWG’s Kari Hammerschlag “But personal shifting of diets is an important step.”
By: Naga Vaishnavi Dittakavi
Meat on your plate is killing the planet !!
We have a bone to pick with industrial animal agriculture. You might be thinking that the inhumane practices and incredibly unsanitary conditions on factory farms is our only qualm with the livestock production world, but these are merely additional logs on the fire that fuels our disdain. Increasingly, the animal agriculture industry has become more than an insanely cruel and gross entity, it is also causing major damage to our environment.
Now, when you start messing with BOTH animals and the planet, you are just asking to have a Green Monster unleashed on your behalf. While the direct connection between animal cruelty and factory farming might be readily apparent, the impact that factory farm has on the planet is less so. Since we all eat, every day, multiple times a day, understanding the impact of our food choices (and not just on our waistlines) can be pretty important.
Firstly, raising animals for food is grossly inefficient because while animals eat large quantities of grain, they produce only small amounts of meat, dairy foods or eggs in return. Scientists estimate that animals must be fed up to 10 kilograms of grain to produce just 1 kilogram of meat. The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people – more than the entire human population on Earth.
According to Worldwatch Institute, “In a world where an estimated one in every six people goes hungry every day, the politics of meat consumption are increasingly heated, since meat production is an inefficient use of grain – the grain is used more efficiently when consumed directly by humans. Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grains to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world’s poor”. Researchers have recently warned that we could face serious food shortages because so much of our grain is now going to feed animals instead of people.
The second major issue is the emptying of our oceans. Fishing is causing serious damage to marine environments worldwide. In the past 50 years, the fishing industry has exterminated 90 per cent of large fish populations, and today, 13 of the world’s 17 major fisheries are depleted or in serious decline. Fishing nets capture all the animals in their path, and for every fish that ends up on a plate, many other animals were caught in nets and killed. During one year alone, an average of 16 kilograms of fish were sold per person worldwide – in the same year, 200 kilograms of marine animals per person were hauled up and discarded as by-catch.
Moreover, besides grains, animals need water to survive and grow until they are slaughtered. One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water, whereas a pound of soy requires 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat only 25 gallons. While millions of people around the world are experiencing droughts and water shortages, much of the world’s water supply is being diverted to animal agriculture. As a matter of fact , A pure vegetarian diet requires only 1,137 litres of water per day, while a meat-based diet requires more than 15,160 litres of water per day.
Furthermore , farming livestock (especially cows) for meat requires vast amounts of land. The world’s population is increasing. With a finite amount of space available for global food production, considering the potential yield of a piece of land (i.e. the amount of food that can be produced there) is really important.
For those who can’t give up meat fully, cutting back goes a long way toward helping the environment, as does choosing meat and dairy products from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. “Ultimately, we need better policies and stronger regulations to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production,” says EWG’s Kari Hammerschlag “But personal shifting of diets is an important step.”
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