What would happen to the 10 billion land animals we eat every year now if we stop eating cows, pigs, and chickens?
Marco Springmann, a research fellow at the Future of Food program of the Oxford Martin School, tried to quantify how much better he and his colleagues’ built computer models predicted what would happen if by 2050 everyone became vegetarian. The findings show that food-related emissions will drop by about 60 percent, mainly due to red meat elimination. If the world went vegan instead, the decline in emissions would be around 70%. The following picture from the World Economic Forum says, “According to Scientific American, producing half a pound (226g) of potatoes emits the same as driving a small car 0.17 miles (0.2km). Half a pound of beef emits as much as driving the same car 9.8 miles (12.7 km).”
People formerly involved in the livestock industry would also need help transitioning to a new career, whether in agriculture, assisting with reforestation, or producing bioenergy from crop by-products currently used to feed livestock.
Cons!
For environmental purposes, some farmers could also be paid to keep livestock. With no livestock, people, and life in specific environments or jobs would need assistance. They would lose livelihood, Homelands, Jobs, and cultural traditions.
The following image from the World Economic Forum shows the total water footprint used per ton.
As seen, beef and other meats and animal-related products are mostly seen to have used more water than other products. Beef uses more than fifteen thousand metric tons of water. Achenes are the only non-animal-related product that goes above five thousand metric tons of water used.
To reap many of the benefits while limiting the repercussions, the entire world does not need to convert to vegetarianism or veganism. Instead, it is essential to moderate the frequency and size of meat-eating portions. One study found that merely complying with the World Health Organization’s dietary recommendations would reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent-a figure that would drop by an additional 40 percent if citizens further avoided animal products and processed snacks.
Some changes to the food system would also encourage us to make healthier and more environmentally friendly dietary choices, says Springmann, such as putting a higher price tag on meat and making cheaper and more widely available fresh fruits and vegetables. Addressing inefficiency would also help: less than 50 percent of the calories currently produced are used effectively, thanks to food loss, waste, and overeating.
Animal products contain more nutrients per calorie than vegetarian staples, such as grains and rice, so it would be essential to choose the right substitute, particularly an estimated over two billion undernourished people worldwide. Past, culture, and cultural identity are an integral part of the meat. Many organizations worldwide give livestock gifts at weddings, celebratory dinners such as turkey or roast beef Christmas center, and meat-based dishes are emblematic of some regions and individuals. Around one-third of the world’s land comprises arid and semi-arid rangelands that only animal farming can sustain. In the past, desertification and loss of fertility have occurred as people have attempted to transform parts of the Sahel-a vast east-to-west strip of Africa situated south of the Sahara and north of the equator-from livestock pasture to croplands.
With all this in mind, the world would be better off if everyone became vegan or vegetarian. The damage to the world has cost us too much. If the world slowly became vegan, maybe the world could be saved. Without people hunting for fun or killing, food animals could live in peace and let nature take its course. If needed, they could kill to balance the world. The world would then slowly adjust, and people could live and thrive without any problems with the environment.
Sources:
- World Economic Forum: What would happen if everyone in the world suddenly stopped eating meat?
- BBC: What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian?