The scale of animal agriculture is staggering. Recent data reveals an alarming truth: approximately 92.2 billion land animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered for food annually worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. This immense number not only represents unfathomable animal suffering but also highlights the significant environmental impact of our current food system.
The Environmental Cost of Animal Agriculture
For years, research has consistently shown that our food system, particularly animal agriculture, is a major contributor to climate change. The good news? This doesn’t have to be the case.
Shifting towards plant-based diets offers a powerful solution. Studies suggest that adopting more plant-based eating habits could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our food system by up to 49%, decrease land use for food production by 76%, and lower freshwater consumption by 19%. Embracing even a few more plant-based meals each week can make a substantial difference.
The Unsustainable Truth Behind Global Food Production
Current global food production methods and consumption habits contribute to approximately one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Alarmingly, the production of animal-based foods accounts for 57% of these emissions, nearly double that of plant-based alternatives. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector are equivalent to the exhaust emissions from all cars, planes, trains, and boats worldwide combined.
The pressures don’t stop there. The food system as it exists today also places enormous strain on agricultural land and water resources. Meat, dairy, and aquaculture production systems utilize a staggering 83% of the world’s farmland yet provide only 18% of global calories and 37% of protein. Furthermore, farmed animal production drives land-use change, encroaching upon wild habitats for crop production and pastures, contributing to species extinction at an alarming rate.
Solutions: Shifting Towards a Sustainable Future
This massive problem demands a global solution. Across the world, organizations are demonstrating that small changes in consumption, procurement, and spending habits can be successfully implemented on a large scale to address this growing crisis.
For example, Sodexo Canada has committed to transitioning 20% of their protein purchases to plant-based options at over 200 locations across the country. Similar shifts are happening in municipalities in Brazil, where commitments have been secured to transition 20% of all meals served in municipal schools to plant-based options. These transitions will result in more than 19 million plates shifting from animal-based to plant-based every year, providing over 280,000 school children with healthy, sustainable meals and sparing more than 640,000 animals from suffering.
The Need for Government Action and Policy Change
Despite compelling scientific evidence, many governments with strong animal agriculture lobbies have been hesitant to consider or implement even modest reforms to transform our global food system. Therefore, there’s a pressing need for initiatives and policies that support a just transition to a more resilient, plant-centric global food system with concrete action. Governments must shift public procurement away from animal-based foods and towards more plant-based alternatives. Policies should encourage the plant-based industry and support and incentivize farmers to transition to more sustainable, plant-based agriculture. We also need to foster innovation and growth in developing protein alternatives such as cultivated meat.
A Call to Action for a More Sustainable Future
The sheer number of animals dying for food each year underscores the urgent need for change. By supporting policies that promote plant-based agriculture, reducing our consumption of animal products, and advocating for a more sustainable food system, we can create a future where both animals and our planet thrive.
Take action now and urge world leaders to create a more resilient and plant-centric food system.
