An article in the globe and mail yesterday looks at the impact of a meat-eaters diet on the environment and introduces a new study claiming that a plant-based diet plus a little meat might actually be more efficient than plants alone. This study by Cornell University examines land requirements as a factor in our "foodprint". It suggests that although a vegetarian diet in New York uses the least land per person (0.44 acres compared with 2.11 for meat eaters) it's not as efficient in terms of land use as a plant-based diet that also includes a bit of meat and dairy. The rationale is that garzing land is widely available while crops occupy high-quality fertile land. But is land use the only measure?
The predecessor to this study is one from the Union of Concerned Scientists' who recommend that being a vegetarian is one of the top things you can do for the planet. It provides us with these astonising numbers:
30% of the Earth's land surface is used for global livestock grazing and feed production
18% of global warming is attributed to livestock (more than all forms of transportation combined). The main culprits are methane - the natural result of bovine digestion - and the nitrogen emitted by manure. Deforestation of grazing land also adds to the effect.
6.2 to 1 is the ratio of feed to meat produced: In 1993, U.S. farm animals were fed 192.7 million tonnes of feed concentrates (the bulk being corn) in order to produce 31.2 million tonnes of meat.
50% is the additional percentage of New York's population that could be supported agriculturally by the state if everyone followed a low-fat vegetarian diet.
There are other measures than simply land use that affect one's "foodprint".
The article also states,
In order to more efficiently use land that supports a moderate-fat, vegetarian diet, the study suggests limiting annual meat and egg intake to about two cooked ounces a day - a significant drop from the typical North American high-meat, high-dairy diet. (Canadians and Americans consume almost 220 pounds of meat per capita each year, or more than nine ounces a day.)
Another thing to consider before changing your eating habits is nutrition. The article is missing the fact that two cooked ounces of protein (about the size of two thumbs) is really all we need in one day. And vegetables, beans, and lentils all contain protein so you may be getting enough without eating any meat.
I wholeheartedly agree that the move to a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do for the environment. The article suggests that you are doing a pretty good job if you eat meat occasionally and in smaller quantities as well as buy local and organic. D'accord.
Source: To go green, eat your greens - and meat, too
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