{"id":3241,"date":"2019-07-19T11:45:57","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T11:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/?p=3241"},"modified":"2019-09-11T18:15:24","modified_gmt":"2019-09-11T18:15:24","slug":"an-appetite-for-life-how-a-global-food-revolution-could-help-save-the-planet-farmed-animals-and-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2019\/07\/19\/an-appetite-for-life-how-a-global-food-revolution-could-help-save-the-planet-farmed-animals-and-us\/","title":{"rendered":"An Appetite for Life: How a global food revolution could help save the planet, farmed animals, and us."},"content":{"rendered":"\"Smiling\n

The Food We Eat Impacts the Planet<\/h1>\n

A succession of recent media reports have highlighted that there may be a problem with the way we eat. Scientists and conservation groups are saying that if we\u2019re going to feed a rising global population and tackle climate change, then we need to drastically reduce our consumption of meat and dairy, and eat more plant-based food.<\/p>\n

But why? What\u2019s so bad about meat and dairy? What does our diet have to do with climate change?<\/p>\n

The short answer is greenhouse gas emissions. If the world\u2019s cattle formed their own nation, it would have the third-highest emissions on earth (behind only China and the United States).<\/span> That\u2019s partly because cattle produce methane in their digestive systems \u2013 a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.<\/span> But it\u2019s also because of the vast amount of land cows require \u2013 160 times more than potatoes, wheat or rice. As the human population continues to rise, the demand for meat increases. This means clearing forests to make way for more cattle farms. The bad news? Deforestation accelerates climate change. It releases greenhouse gases and removes the natural carbon sinks forests provide. Think of it as adding fuel to the fire, while simultaneously doing away with the extinguishers.<\/p>\n

Meat production is inefficient<\/h2>\n

Currently, livestock occupy 80% of global farmland but produce just 18% of the calories we consume. What if that same land was used to grow plants instead? According to one study in the US, that would mean producing up to 20 times more food. In other words, enough to feed the world several times over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But don\u2019t plants have an environmental impact, too? Sadly, yes. But the difference is, their footprint is less severe. <\/span>Research has shown that the green\u00adhouse gas emissions of a vegan diet are half that of a meat-eating diet.<\/span> Some experts have even said that eating plants instead of meat and dairy would be a better way for consumers to reduce their emissions than giving up their car!<\/span> That\u2019s a pretty bold statement, and one worth thinking about.<\/p>\n

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