Do not immediately say no to cutting out meat. The positives of a vegetarian diet do not only benefit health, but they carry tremendous rewards for the environment and conservation of energy. The mass production of meat depletes land and soil in addition to producing greenhouse gasses through production and transportation. A vegetarian lifestyle requires less energy and causes the least amount of harm to the planet, making it the most efficient and sustainable lifestyle choice one can make. Sustainable diets can contribute to global food security, lower harmful environmental impacts, and promote healthy living patterns for generations to come. Meat-eaters will argue that producing and eating a greater number of vegetables can make a diet less efficient. This is because the amount of high-quality land has decreased due to animal agriculture and vegetables require high quality soil to grow in. If we reduce our consumption of meat and restore some of the poor soil that has been overgrazed and depleted, we could fix this efficiency failure. When consumers are exposed to these urgent ecological issues, they become more open to the idea of new lifestyle choices like vegetarianism. To some, sustainability in food is simply being able to feed everyone, and to others, sustainability is how we get that food. The principle of sustainability is that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations. Therefore, in order to live and eat sustainably, we must continue to produce enough food without completely depleting our resources. A vegetarian diet is a sound solution to these needs and more.
Introduction
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture in their 2015-2022 “Dietary Guidelines for America” label their description of a healthy diet as the “Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern” [15]. Predictably, this eating pattern includes all the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and of course, meat. Interestingly, apart from the “U.S.” style of eating, the report includes guidelines for a healthy vegetarian eating pattern, which allocates a greater portion of calories to legumes, soy products, and nuts and seeds. The report does not advocate for one diet or another, but warns that a vegetarian eating pattern does not include as much Vitamin D. However, the report fails to mention any other effects of these “healthy” eating patterns. There is no mention of an environmental impact or the potential health effects of eating meat. While stressing the importance of the population’s health, it is hypocritical for the government departments to not consider the health of the planet. As is evident in the report, it is reasonably possible to eat a healthy vegetarian diet that includes all the protein, nutrients, and vitamins people need. When considering the health of the planet and population as a whole, a well-rounded vegetarian diet is the responsible and sustainable choice. Anyone who lives on this planet has an invested responsibility to maintain its natural resources and protect it from harm in order to continue living a healthy life.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Meat Industry
From the food fed to cattle to the grocery store, there are different types of greenhouse gasses released in different stages of meat production. First, cattle must be fed, often by crops that are grown on land that was once healthy and able to remove carbon from the atmosphere. 33% of cropland is dedicated to providing feed for livestock, and this land is no longer home to trees and plant life that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere [4]. Livestock produces 7.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide per year, representing 14.5% of human caused greenhouse gas emissions [4]. The cattle themselves produce a different greenhouse gas, methane, through fermentation in their stomachs. Beef farming produces the greatest amount of methane from human related activities [13]. The production of meat requires energy for the factories and transportation of the meat, which produces more carbon dioxide. All steps of the process produce a significant quantity of greenhouse gasses. Carbon dioxide seems to be a significantly less harmful greenhouse gas when compared to methane. In the context of global warming, methane traps 23 times more heat than carbon dioxide [9]. Some may consider themselves to be sustainable by choosing locally produced meat, but this does not counteract the large demand for meat that spurs industrialized meat production. The figure below shows the greenhouse gas emissions for a variety of meat and dairy products, providing a visual representation of the massive amounts of emissions due to beef.
How Meat Consumption Causes Deforestation and Land Degradation
Crops for cattle feed and grazing are responsible for over 40% of deforestation each year. The loss of forests and whole ecosystems means a loss of biodiversity. In fact, in the Amazon, cattle ranching is now the leading cause of deforestation [9]. Rainforests perform many critical roles such as maintaining the global temperature, providing fresh oxygen and water, and providing habitats to a vast number of species. Global biodiversity is an essential resource that is vastly underappreciated, and the rapid loss of biodiversity needs recognition as a dangerous problem. Once the land is cleared, cattle grazing ruins the fertile soil and creates problems like erosion and desertification. Livestock are responsible for 55% of soil erosion in the United States, and conversion of forest and grasslands to pasture or feed crops is depleting the land and causing desertification [9]. Livestock production threatens already diminishing ecosystems and pushes an increasing number of species to extinction. After land has been grazed, it is no longer able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration nor can it be used for valuable crops because of the lack of nutrients. The destructive agrarian methods used in growing feed crops deplete the soil of valuable nutrients and ruin the soil for any other types of plant life. A cycle is established when healthy land is cleared for livestock to replace the unhealthy land. To stop the cycle, meat consumption must be halted in order to restore habitats, biodiversity, and healthy soil.
The figure above shows how the amount of land allocated to livestock grazing has drastically increased, while the amount of land for forests and wild grassland, land for habitats and strong ecosystems, has greatly decreased.
Water Use in the Meat Industry
Raising cattle and growing crops are water intensive processes. The dairy, meat, and poultry processing sectors are the most water-intensive sectors within the food industry [1]. Within 50 years, many areas in the United States will see their freshwater supply reduced by a third [8]. Worldwide, supplies of freshwater are becoming scarce and few people understand how livestock play a key role in the contamination and depletion of freshwater supplies. One kilogram of animal protein requires 100 times more water than producing one kilogram of plant protein, and livestock produces 10 times more waste than the entirety of the human population [9]. The figure below demonstrates this concept and shows the significant difference between the amount of water required for meat compared to the amount of water needed to produce vegetables. This waste is often collected in ways that allow it to seep into waterways and freshwater supplies. Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture run into waterways and groundwater pollute freshwater supplies and harm marine ecosystems. This destruction has effects that include eutrophication, dead zones in coastal areas, and degradation of coral reefs [9]. Given the limited quantity of freshwater supplies and the amount of people who do not have access to clean water worldwide, contaminating our water supply for meat and livestock feed is extremely unsustainable. Water is a need, and people lack access to clean water in many parts of the world. Harming the limited freshwater we have for unnecessary foods shows a strong lack of care for many of the current environmental health problems we face today.
Energy Use and Efficiency in the Meat Industry
Producing meat is also an energy intensive process. According to Nierenberg [12], “…it takes far less energy — from the fossil fuels used to fertilize and harvest crops, to the energy required to process feed for livestock, to the gas used to transport food to the grocery store — to feed vegans and vegetarians than meat eaters.” To create the energy used to produce meat, fossil fuels are burned and release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Meat and other highly processed foods have become increasingly popular, and their mass consumption leads to a higher energy consumption. Part of the reason for meat being so energy intensive is the energy required to produce all the crops that feed livestock. In fact, according to Alsaffar [1], “If all of the crop production currently allocated to animal feed were directly consumed by humans, global food production would increase by some two billion tons and food calories would increase by 49%.” The energy required to produce meat is excessive in the face of global hunger. The ability to feed all people is in our grasp, but we continue to produce wasteful dairy and meat products that do not meet global food demands. As demonstrated in the graph below, only 1.9% of the caloric energy input into beef production was converted to animal protein. This means that 98.1% of caloric energy is completely lost. Other animal products are not much better, whole milk being a 24% conversion rate.
Particulate Matter from the Meat Industry
The food we eat negatively impacts our climate, land, and water, but it also has negative effects on our air quality. Particulate matter is another dangerous impact of the meat and dairy industry. Its addition to air pollution contributes to numerous illnesses and diseases. Particulate matter, or particulate pollution, are microscopic solids and liquids that are small enough to be inhaled. The predominant contributors to all particulate matter include livestock and crop production, land use change, and waste burning, which make up 95% of food related particulate matter emissions. In fact, it is so dangerous to human health that it is the largest contributor to premature mortality from exposure to air pollution [2]. Particulate matter can cause health effects such as respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, and the particles can travel long distances from the source of pollution [2]. All the steps described previously that produce greenhouse gasses also produce particulate matter, such as producing crops and turning livestock into meat. One of the biggest producers of particulate matter is food waste from turning livestock into meat because it is often burned for disposal. Food production and excess waste need to be addressed and limited to reduce this form of air pollution.
Bodily Health and Meat Consumption
Consuming meat as a major part of one’s diet has many negative effects on bodily health. Many people view meat as an essential part of a well-rounded diet, when in reality it is not. Plenty of protein and essential vitamins and minerals are found when eating a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating more than the allocated daily allowance of meat generally has negative effects on health, according to Alsaffar [1]. The most important health impacts of excess fat and sodium include increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, obesity and premature death. Processed meats are classified as carcinogens (cancer causing) as seen in the figure below. People see meat as healthy simply because it is an adequate source of protein. However, both meat eaters and vegetarians consume well over the recommended daily allowance of protein [9]. Unfortunately, this excess meat brings direct and indirect harm to the body. Concentrated animal farming operation centers’ proximity to population centers also spread infectious diseases to the human population [9]. Vegetarians that adhere to a well-rounded diet and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables consume more healthy vitamins and minerals and less saturated fats and cholesterol. For example, in a study done by the American Heart Association [10], “higher adherence to a healthy plant‐based diet index was associated with a 19% and 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and all‐cause mortality.” Numerous additional studies have been conducted on the benefits of a plant-based diet, and results have shown that a vegetarian diet contributes to a longer life expectancy, lower body mass index, and reduced cancer risk.
Animal Conditions in the Meat Industry
Currently, to keep up with the rate of consumers’ meat consumption, animals are no longer raised, they are produced. Most livestock today, in both developed and developing nations, are raised using intensive methods in factory farms [9]. Stocks of animals are maintained in confined spaces and quickly fattened to slaughter through a high protein diet of corn or soy [9]. A large portion of cattle is generally managed by minimum wage workers whose job is to remove dead or dying animals and scrape waste for a living. The conditions for cattle, pigs, and chickens are so unclean that owners must give their herds large doses of antibiotics to avoid a rapid spread of disease. These conditions hold consequences for not only the cattle but the industry workers, consumers, and the environment. The production of meat on a mass scale is not sustainable because it results in inhumane and disastrous conditions for the animals and workers involved. The majority of animals for food are sentient creatures with capacity to experience well-being and suffering [14]. Some even consider industrial farming to be one of the worst crimes in history. It is certainly one of the most pressing ethical issues of our time.
Consumerism, Ethics, and Sustainability of the Meat Industry
Why do we keep eating meat? Why do we keep producing meat at this scale if it has such broad negative effects? In general, people believe that meat is a crucial element of a healthy diet and even an element to every meal. When it comes to how protein is marketed, Jodi Leslie, registered dietitian and instructor at UH Hilo, says that “I think a lot of it is myth and money-driven.” [11] American society promotes personal freedoms, self-reliance, and individualism. Capitalist culture promotes exercising these freedoms through our purchasing powers and by cultivating personal taste [6]. We are conditioned by industry leaders and media to be selfish with our choices, and therefore it is extremely difficult to recognize that these choices have wider reaching consequences. When we take a step back from our consumerist habits and open our minds to ecological issues, we just might adopt more sustainable and healthy habits like vegetarianism.
In order to be sustainable, food choices must contribute to food security and have a low environmental impact. We as humans have a moral responsibility to the care and keeping of the planet, the animals, and the future generations. As the earth reaches its carrying capacity, all resources will be depleted for future generations because of the rapid rate that our generations consume meat. There are a variety of different views on the definition of agricultural sustainability; some say that sustainability relates to a sufficient food supply, others argue that sustainability relates to minimizing disruptions to the ecological balance, and some claim that sustainability of agriculture even includes promoting values of self-reliance and humility [14]. While the author argues that there are many different ways to interpret sustainability, I argue that the way in which food systems work now is entirely unsustainable, and that the system must adhere to all of these ideologies. Achieving these goals is nearly impossible when considering the scale at which meat is produced, and a food system focused on vegetarian diets can be achieved sustainably relatively easily. Vegetarian food systems “use less water, land, and resources and produce less greenhouse gas emissions”[6]. It is important to recognize that it is not simply the farmers’ fault for the ecological problems the planet now faces. When considering the economic factors at play, consumers intensify the problem by continuing to pay for the farm’s products. In order to make sustainable changes in farmers, the government must provide an economic enticement for change. Thus, when consumer and agricultural habits become more sustainable, the needs of the present will be met without compromising planetary resources.
The Protein Debate
Despite all the negative consequences of the meat industry, consumers still hold numerous misconceptions about eating meat. Many people think that they need to include meat in every meal for it to be healthy and full of protein, when that is untrue. On average, Americans far exceed the amount of protein recommended per day. The recommended protein intake per day varies between 46-56 grams based on weight and exercise, and most American adults consume 100 grams of protein a day, twice the recommended amount. Vegetarians are capable of easily consuming 60-80 grams a day from foods like beans, legumes, nuts, green vegetables, and whole grains. The body can only absorb 20-40 grams of protein per meal, so consuming excessive protein is unnecessary and wasteful. Additionally, consumers question how significantly more sustainable a vegetarian diet really is. Some pull statistics from studies that claim that vegetarian diets are less efficient than a diet that includes meat in terms of land use [3]. These individuals fail to consider the energy needed to produce, process, package, and transport food beyond land use. They also fail to consider the far-reaching consequences such as soil and water degradation and health effects. As a whole, vegetables are far more sustainable and have positive benefits like carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Vegetarian staples like grains and soy have some of the lowest levels of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions [7]. However, there are also arguments that claim that the Amazon is being cleared for soybeans, a popular vegetarian protein source. Yet, a small portion of the soy is going on to feed vegetarians. 80% of all soybeans coming from the Amazon are turned into high-protein animal feed.
As seen in the graph above, the United States consumes well over the average daily protein requirement and mostly consumes animal-based protein. By only moderately increasing the amount of plant based protein we consume, we can completely cut out animal based protein while still reaching the daily protein requirement. The protein comparison chart featured below proves some of the popular ideas about protein to be wrong. Many vegan protein options contain significantly more protein per serving and less cholesterol and fat.
Policy Areas for Improvement and the Role of Government
Some key policy areas for action include extension and agricultural support services, research and development, financial incentives, advocacy, and international agreements. All these areas target corporations and industry leaders in order to motivate them to change their harmful ways through education and economic gain. It is important to note that none of these policy areas target consumers, but it is important for individuals to make their own changes to their diets in order to make progress from the bottom up. Oftentimes, agricultural subsidies funded by the government have economic benefits for the farmers and negative effects on the environment. “Around the world, governments give $540 billion in agricultural support every year, and nearly 90% of those subsidies—about $470 billion—are directly damaging to the environment, destroying nature and contributing to pollution, as well as harmful to public health” [5]. These subsidies are illustrated in the figure below. Governments should commit to the gradual elimination of “often perverse subsidies,” which encourage livestock producers to engage in environmentally damaging activities [9]. In addition, zoning laws should be created or changed to place concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) away from population centers. This will decrease the spread of infectious disease and bring waste to places with the land capacity to absorb that waste. Political and industrial leaders should create these changes quickly if they wish for the price of water, land, and feed to not rapidly increase and reflect their scarcity. Unfortunately, for policy reforms to take shape, the changes must make economic sense in order for them to gain broad support. If meat prices were to reflect their environmental impact, prices would rise and consumption would decrease, thus decreasing production.
For Those Who Still Want to Eat Meat
So many people have the capability to go vegetarian. If someone has access to grocery stores and is financially capable of buying sufficient food, then they are reasonably able to consume all the proteins and nutrients they need on a vegetarian diet. Unfortunately, people think that their own individual choices will not make a difference, and that meat will still exist and be produced and consumed by others. This reasoning is why it is so important to start making individual choices. It is easy to go vegetarian for one meal, so try eating no meat for one meal a day. Then try two vegetarian meals a day or pick a few days a week to attempt no meat eating. It is much easier to ease into a vegetarian diet rather than cutting out all meat at once. It is popular to stop eating red meat all together and then ease into everything else. Excitingly, the market for fake meats has grown increasingly popular, and they are a great way to make the transition to vegetarianism easier. There are numerous ways to adopt a vegetarian diet that are not painful or difficult, and plenty of ways to make the transition an easy one.
Conclusion
A vegetarian diet is the most sustainable lifestyle choice an individual can make. To help alleviate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce land degradation, deforestation, and a loss of biodiversity, the meat industry must be entirely reformed. Supplies of resources such as freshwater and healthy land are being depleted rapidly. While there is some action being taken towards environmental policy in government, little of it has anything to do with the meat industry. Thus, awareness must be raised and individuals must make sustainable choices until the government supports restrictions on meat production, land clearing, and emissions. Choosing to not eat meat is a healthier option for all parties involved: consumers, the environment, and animals. At the rate that humans currently consume meat, the food systems will not be able to be sustained for future generations to come. The natural resources will be either depleted or contaminated in ways that are irreversible. All arguments against vegetarianism are easily refuted: cutting out meat is more sustainable, healthier, and just as nutritious as any meat-eating diet. For the sake of the environment and future generations to come, I implore all to begin their transition to a vegetarian diet.
Works Cited
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(8) Heggie, J. (2021, May 3). Why is America running out of water? Science. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-americas-looming-water-crisis
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(10) Kim, H., Caulfield, L. E., Garcia‐Larsen, V., Steffen, L. M., Coresh, J., & Rebholz, C. M. (2019). Plant‐based diets are associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all‐cause mortality in a general population of middle‐aged adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(16). https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.012865
(11) Martinez, V. (n.d.). Misconceptions of Protein. Ke Kalahea. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://hilo.hawaii.edu/news/kekalahea/Misconceptions-protein
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(15) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/