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Eating a Veg Diet Can Save the Environment

Eating a Veg Diet Can Save the Environment

 

Eating a Veg Diet Can Save the Environment       

Compelling new research shows that plant based diets are key to saving the environment. In a study published this April, a group of Austrian researchers looked at whether it was possible to feed the world without further deforestation.  According to the researchers, three-quarters of the Earth’s landmass is currently being used by humans, and every day our natural resources are shrinking. Huge amounts of global forests continue to be converted into agricultural land, particularly in tropical areas. Forests mitigate climate change by removing and storing carbon emissions, and function as important reservoirs of biodiversity.

The study examined hundreds of different types of diets to determine which would be able to feed the estimated Earth population in 2050. Looking at factors such as cropland demand, grazing intensity, crop yields and biomass harvest, the study found that meat was the single greatest factor affecting the ability to feed the world’s population without destroying more forests.  Of all the scenarios, only the vegan diet was 100% feasible. This is because it takes vastly more land to raise meat than vegetable crops.

This study adds to a substantial body of scientific evidence that plant based diets promote environmental sustainability and protect global biodiversity. A 2009 study found that transitioning to plant based diets would reduce the costs of climate change mitigation by 50% in 2050. Yet, surprisingly, many people still don’t see the connection between meat consumption and environmental degradation. Recently, researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands found that only 6% of 500 Americans interviewed thought that eating less meat would help the environment.

Part of the reluctance to embrace plant based diets for environmental change may be the misconception that a meatless diet is bland or boring. According to Annick de Witt, one of the Delft University scientists, removing meat from one’s diet can be “liberating.” In an interview with Alex Swerdloff of Munchies, de Witt says, “People pay more attention to the origins of their food, value their connection with nature, and generally show more concern for their health and well-being, including food habits and body awareness.”

Learn about transitioning to a plant based diet in our free guide here.

Learn more how plant based diets help the environment here and here.

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