Plant-Based Diets

The Impact of Plant-Based Diets on the Environment

One of the most significant contributors to climate change is the food industry. Specifically, the production and consumption of meat play a massive role in this. There has been a lot of recent talk of lab-grown meat. Lab-grown meat — by chemical make-up — is meat, without the inhumanity of factory farming and the negative environmental implications of livestock. While a highly viable climate solution, many people are skeptical of turning to meat made in a lab. If this isn’t the solution for you, there’s still a highly impactful solution that you can adopt — eat less meat!

This is where plant-based diets come into play. In this snippet, we will discuss the problem, solution, and impact of following plant-based diets.

Problem:

The meat industry is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases globally, with cows alone producing 14.5% of global emissions. This is linked to other environmental issues such as deforestation, water pollution, and soil degradation. According to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Health, red and processed meats have the highest environmental impact out of all food groups. These meats produce the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions and require the most irrigation water, cropland, and fertilizer.

Solution:

One solution to this problem is adopting a plant-based diet. This does not mean that you have to give up meat entirely. Instead, it's about being more intentional about the amount of meat you eat and replacing it with healthier plant-based options. This can include everything from vegetables and fruits to alternative meat products.

Impact:

Reducing meat consumption could be a highly impactful solution in the fight against climate change. According to Project Drawdown, if 50–75% of people adopt a healthy diet of 2,300 calories per day and reduce meat consumption overall, they estimate at least 54.19–78.48 gigatons of emissions could be avoided from dietary change alone. Since agriculture, especially for cattle and animal feed production, is the leading driver of tropical deforestation, reducing meat consumption can avoid additional forest loss and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Examples:

Numerous plant-based alternatives are available in the market today, with options to suit everybody's tastes, preferences, and dietary restrictions. These include alternatives to meat, cheese, milk, and butter, which can help people switch to a plant-based diet. Many restaurants worldwide are offering plant-based meal options as well.

Examples of companies paving the way: Morning Star Farms, Beyond Meat, Meatless Monday, Impossible Foods, Meati, Air Protein, and many more.

1-Minute Call to Action:

Are you curious about adopting a plant-based diet but feeling uncertain about how to start and maintain it? Here's a simple approach: begin by assessing your current meat consumption in a day and take a gradual step back. For instance, if you eat meat with every meal, challenge yourself to skip it for one meal a day. Whereas, if you have it once a day, aim to reduce it to five days a week and build from there. This gradual progression will empower you on your journey towards a plant-based lifestyle.

The food industry is a critical player in the efforts to combat global warming and climate change. The production and consumption of meat are among the most significant contributors to greenhouse gases, making it a pressing issue that we need to address quickly. Choosing plant-based diets is a step in the right direction, leading to reduced environmental impact, better health outcomes, and a more sustainable future.