livestock take up most of the world's agricultural land but produce only 18% of the world's calories and 37% of the world's protein. Let that sink in for a minute.
Now continue reading: It takes 184.8 m² of land to produce 100 grams of protein from lamb & mutton, 163.6 m² for beef. 100 grams of protein from tofu, on the other hand, takes up 2.2 m² of land. Agriculture is generally responsible for 40% of deforestation worldwide, reaching 56% of deforestation in the Amazon in 2020.
Why should we be worried about all of that? There are several reasons: agriculture is a threat to 24,000 of the 28,000 species of plants and animals included in the IUCN Red List. The lack of trees also allows a greater amount of greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere, something we just can’t afford right now. Forests are an essential element of the water cycle that controls rivers and precipitation. Also, agriculture-driven deforestation is permanent (whereas lands that suffer from deforestation caused by fires may regenerate).
This once more emphasizes the urgency of reducing global meat consumption significantly. Go vegan or vegetarian or just eat less meat, share this with your friends and family, start a conversation. We believe in you!
[Poore, J., & Nemecek, T. (2018). Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers.]
