When you think of climate change, images of unpredictable weather, rising sea levels, filthy oceans, air pollution and smog may come to mind, right? But have you considered that your juicy steak may also be partially responsible? We have put together this piece to try and take notice of the global impact of meat consumption on the environment.
Global Impact of Meat Consumption on the Environment
A few decades back in time, meat was a luxury item that only the affluent could afford. Now, beef burgers and other meaty treats are available for everyone to chow down on. Some statistics even show that the UK throws away up to 34,000 tons of meat annually. This exponential increase in meat demand paired with increasing population has had a major impact on our planet. Some of the adverse effects that are a result of meat production include pollution through fossil fuel, water and land consumption, animal methane and effluent waste.
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a report stated that the livestock sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gasses.
One can gauge the severity of this issue from the fact that in November 2017, thousands of scientists and Nobel laureates signed a Warning to Humanity. In it, they pressed the idea of changing our stewardship of planet Earth and all its inhabitants. Diminishing our per capita meat consumption was one of the things the document called for.
Logistically, meat is one of the most inefficient ways to feed ourselves. Kurzgesagt calls our current meat production practices “a black hole for resources”. According to a study conducted by Poore and Nemecek, livestock takes up 83% of farmland while providing only 18% of calories. To put things into perspective, for producing 1 kg of steak, a cow needs 25 kg of grain and approximately 15,000 liters of water. The land currently occupied by livestock could be utilized in a more efficient way to harvest fruits and vegetables.
The carbon footprint that results from the production and meat consumption is also notable: 15% of greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans are a result of the meat industry.
A number of health concerns due to the possibility of disease-ridden livestock are also an issue. The use of antibiotics in animal feed has been subject to scrutiny as well. Some think that it is a likely factor that’s increasing our resistance to antibiotics.
Below we will take a more detailed look at the global impact of meat consumption on the environment.
Water Pollution
Farms pollute water in many ways, mostly because of arable farming and partially with livestock. But the fact that 1/3 of the world’s grain is grown to feed animals shows how it is all tied to meat production as well.
Water Use
A study in 2010 noted that vegetables had a water footprint of about 322 liters per kg; fruits used up 962 liters; meat, on the other hand, soaked up water by thousands of liters. Chickens came in at 4,325l per kg, sheep/goat meat at 8,763l per kg, and beef at a mind-boggling 15,415l per kg.
With our freshwater reservoirs drying up, these estimates are worrying.
Deforestation and Land Use
As mentioned before, livestock takes up a massive 83% of the total farmland. This means that pasture lands account for 26% of the planet’s ice-free surface. Many forests are obliterated to make room for pastures. This affects our planet’s biodiversity as various habitats are wiped out.
Now, apart from the environmental cost; health concerns and food wastage, there is also a question of ethics and humanity. It is estimated that humans kill approximately 74 billion animals a year. The slaughterhouses and factory systems that try to meet our meat demands have tried to maximize output by engineering animals to be as efficient as possible for consumption. In trying to achieve this process, we have disregarded things like the animal’s quality of life. The living conditions are horrific and treatment is inhumane.
Eliminating meat entirely from one’s diet may not be a reasonable option, but limiting meat consumption to just a few times a week and making sure that wastage is minimum are steps in the right direction. A collective effort toward a more sustainable lifestyle can help decrease the global impact of meat consumption on the environment.
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