Feeding the World SustainablyLeah Ritch
February 2007
Worldwide animal agribusiness annually produces nearly 13 billion tons of waste. Waste on this scale contributes greatly to land, air, and water pollution. Of all Earth’s water, less than three percent is fresh, and of that, two-thirds is frozen in glaciers. Consider the misuse of our water resources. According to Cornell University’s Ecology Department, "it takes 500 liters of water to produce 1kg of potatoes, 900 liters per kg of wheat, 3,500 liters per kg of digestible chicken flesh and a massive 100,000 liters for 1 kg of beef."" Vast cropland must be irrigated to produce feed needed to raise each cow, which could have otherwise been directly used to grow food for humans. Not to mention the increased use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides all further damaging the environment. The situation continues to intensify as populations such as China’s burgeoning middle class increase the percentage of animal products in their diet.
Atmospheric pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are the main contributors to climate change; these major by-products of animal agribusiness are often overlooked: 25% of anthropogenic [caused by human activity ] methane emissions, 7% of nitrous oxide, and 10% of total greenhouse gases. Although fossil fuels are commonly used in the production of food, the amounts used vary substantially: One calorie of soybean protein requires two calories of fossil fuel, and one calorie of cornor wheat protein requires three calories of fossil fuel, compared to one calorie of beef protein, which requires 54 calories of fossil fuel!
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UUNEP), grazing is a leading cause of desertification --that is, leaving land incapable of producing food due to the degradation of the ecology --- and it affects 50 million acres of agricultural land annually. Worse yet, much of this desertification is taking place in financially poor regions. As a result of the degradation of agricultural land, and our increasingly high demand for animal flesh and dairy products, the expansion of cropland for cattle grazing and the cultivation for industrial feedresults in approximately 60 percent of worldwide deforestation. The World Resources Institute Assessments conclude that already approximately 20-30 percent of Earth’s forests have beendeforested for agriculture. Some of the world’s most critical rainforest areas are now largely wiped out.
The human population currently exceeds 6 billion. In addition, we raise nearly 50 billion animals to be slaughtered for food every year, putting unsustainable strain on the land, water, and atmosphere. The inevitable outcome of our population’s further growth, and the growth of animal agribusiness, will result in further deforestation, species extinction, rise in greenhouse gas emissions, and drought, as forests are essential for regulating climates.
There are two ways we can change this. One is through the will of individuals and by the actions they take as consumers, citizens, and campaigners. The other resides in the decisions of policy makers. Without this shift, any prospect of a peaceful, sustainable future of life is pure moonshine.
For future generations, of humans and non-humans alike, why not make the switch to a vegan diet today?
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