Burgers, Cows, and Environmental Heroes: The Shocking Stats
- Kishlay B
- Oct 6, 2023
- 5 min read
Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles-based company, was founded in 2009 and is known for its innovative plant-based meat substitutes. A 2018 report from the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems revealed some astonishing statistics about the environmental impact of their flagship product, the Beyond Burger. Compared to a traditional quarter-pound beef burger, the Beyond Burger not only matches it in nutritional value but also demonstrates an impressive environmental advantage. It generates 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy, uses 99.5% less water, and occupies 93% less land throughout its production, packaging, and distribution in the United States.
These numbers might seem almost too good to be true, but they serve as a stark reminder of the potential for positive change by embracing a plant-based vegan diet. In this blog, we'll break down these figures and explore how adopting such a diet can have a monumental impact on our environment.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Please don't roll your eyes at me already. I promise to not bombard you with sixth grade science but rather all of this will actually make sense to you.
One of the most compelling benefits of going vegan is the substantial reduction in methane emissions. Livestock, especially cattle, release methane during digestion and through manure decomposition. This methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a much higher heat-trapping capacity than carbon dioxide. By choosing plant-based foods over animal products, you directly decrease the demand for meat and dairy, leading to fewer cattle being raised and thus less methane entering the atmosphere. This is a significant victory for the planet.
A 2018 study in Science found that meat and dairy production is responsible for a staggering 56-58% of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions, while contributing only 18% of our caloric intake and 37% of protein.
Furthermore, livestock farming is energy-intensive, from powering machinery for feed production to running facilities for animal care. In contrast, plant-based agriculture typically consumes less energy. By adopting a vegan diet, you're contributing to the reduction of energy consumption in the food production chain, helping alleviate the environmental burden associated with energy production.
Conservation of Water Resources
The livestock industry, particularly meat and dairy production, is a voracious consumer of water. Cows, in particular, require substantial amounts of water for drinking and cooling, but the water footprint doesn't stop there. Cattle are fed crops like corn and soy, and growing these crops demands significant amounts of water. As a result, a single hamburger represents a staggering amount of hidden water usage.
A 2013 report from Water Resources and Industry found that while 783 million people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water, animal agriculture consumes nearly one-third of available drinking water.
Now, consider the alternative—a plant-based diet. When you opt for vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes as your primary food sources, you're choosing products with significantly lower water footprints. Plants generally require less water to grow compared to the water-intensive process of raising livestock.
Thus, when you select a vegan meal, you're not just making a dietary choice; you're also acting as a steward of water resources, playing a vital role in ensuring that future generations have access to the clean and abundant water they need to thrive.
Conservation of Land Resources
The world's forests are constantly under threat due to various human activities, and one major contributor to deforestation is animal agriculture.
A 2018 report from Science revealed that meat and dairy production uses a staggering 83% of global farmland but provides only 18% of calories and 37% of protein. Even so-called "low-impact" beef requires 36 times more land than peas.
The same study indicated that if everyone stopped consuming meat and dairy, farmland use could be reduced by 75%, an area equivalent to the combined size of the United States, China, Australia, and the European Union.
By choosing a vegan diet, you're actively contributing to the preservation of these vital ecosystems. In regions where livestock farming is prevalent, extensive forest clearing occurs to make way for grazing land and to cultivate animal feed crops. This process results in the loss of biodiversity, disruption of local ecosystems, and even impacts global climate patterns.
A 2019 report published by Lancet found that nearly two-thirds of all soybeans, corn, and barley crops, and about one-third of all grain crops, are used to feed animals.
A 2017 study in Climatic Change revealed that if the entire U.S. population replaced beef with beans, up to 692 square kilometers (42% of U.S. cropland) would become available.
By adopting a vegan lifestyle, you're sending a powerful message that you won't support practices that harm our forests. You're reducing the demand for meat and dairy products, which, in turn, decreases the need for land-intensive cattle farming and the cultivation of animal feed crops. This reduction in demand directly alleviates the pressure on forests, allowing them to thrive and continue their essential roles in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and habitat preservation.
Furthermore, by choosing plant-based foods, you're indirectly promoting more efficient land use. Plant agriculture typically requires less land than animal agriculture to produce the same amount of food, as plants directly convert sunlight into sustenance without the need for the intermediary step of feeding crops to animals. This efficiency not only conserves land but also reduces the overall environmental footprint of food production.
Conclusion
Backed by various scientific studies and research papers, it is now a universally accepted fact that our diet plays an imperative role in the fight against climate change. By taking individual responsibility of our dietary choices, we can play a phenomenal part in saving some of our crucial land and fresh water resources.
So, the next time you take a bite into a Beyond Burger or opt for a vegan meal, remember that you’re making a real difference for the environment. It’s food for thought, literally!
References
Going Vegan: An Effective Way to Reduce Environmental Impact - Vegan Outreach. (2023, September 19). Vegan Outreach. https://veganoutreach.org/environment/#:~:text=They%20found%20that%20vegan%20diets,a%20vegan%20diet%20(10)
Can we make cow burps climate-friendly? (n.d.). Horizon Magazine. https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/can-we-make-cow-burps-climate-friendly
Veganuary, K. (2021, May 20). Try Vegan: You’ll Save Water. Veganuary. https://veganuary.com/try-vegan-save-water/
Animal-based Diet v. Plant-based Diet: Land Use. (n.d.). https://www.all-creatures.org/articles/env-animal-plant-land-use.html
Mulhern, O. (2021, March 17). Adopting a Plant-Based Diet Would Reduce Agricultural Land Use by 3/4. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/data_visualization/adopting-a-plant-based-diet-would-reduce-agricultural-land-use-by-3-4/
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