The Great Plant-Based Transition

Over the course of the semester, agriculture and livestock has been a constant hot-button issue. Yet, when considering the many thousands of climate change solutions, involving a mass transition of sustainable diets is one of the most daunting.

Could it be that we are simply too evolved to lower our food standards? Is a plant-based diet inherently worse? What is the true improvement to our disastrous climate situation if more of us took the plunge, and what type of sacrifice would it really be?

    Gaia Vance’s Nomad Century had a poignant section on the realities of how we source food, and how we waste food. 733 million people are going hungry every day globally, and 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. As a society we have entered a horrific and inequitable truth, where there is a surplus of food produced, without any nutrients being delivered. Fruit, vegetables, and protein cost the most, and without animal-based nutrients it can be substantially more difficult to receive the same calories and vitamins. However, with recent innovation, and education on plant-based alternatives, middle class Americans can find a light at the end of the tunnel. 

What are the Benefits?

A study analyzing the diets of individuals in the UK found that vegan diets resulted in 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than diets in which more than 100g of meat a day was eaten. 

While many may argue that vegetables and fruit are water intensive and cost more for the planet than the livestock industries worldwide, even the lowest-impact meat – organic pork – is responsible for eight times more climate damage than the highest-impact plant, oilseed.

Propaganda and misinformation, dedicated to gaining profit to the livestock and dairy industries, has kept us addicted to the foods we eat, even when there are safer and cheaper alternatives that don’t cost the lives of millions of animals a day. Regardless of how you feel about the conditions of this industry, a vegan diet has been proven to provide the same health benefits as a meat-heavy diet. Harvard Health found a 23% less risk of developing type 2 diabetes with a vegan diet. Our Earth is meant to grow legumes, vegetables, and fruit. Doing so without the use of fertilizers that run off into our freshwater sources is essential to creating a more equitable food situation worldwide. 

“A mostly plant-based diet could prevent approximately 11 million deaths per year globally, and could sustainably produce enough food for the planet’s growing population without further damage to the environment” (Harvard Health)

Goals

Cattle account for 30% of all methane emissions. The current landscape of solution is relying on technology to reduce emissions, and begin the process of carbon sequestration. These efforts are subpar and rely on future scenarios that might never be realized. Additionally, the use of methane-reducing vaccines will not cover the requirements for emission reduction by 2030.

One of the latest IPCC reports stated that there should be a global reduction target for livestock production of 61% by 2036 to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Wealthier countries must take on the brunt of the burden and reduce their livestock production at a quicker rate than developing countries who have the majority of famine and child hunger. This means learning to develop with the urgent need to replace animal by-product with plant-based alternatives.

Brands like Morning Star Farms, Light Life, Beyond Meat, or Impossible Foods, provide protein and vitamin B12 rich alternatives to everyday meat options. (I can attest that I enjoy these alternatives almost as much as the real thing). Enjoying soy-based products, veggie burgers, bean, or cauliflower based proteins are also very healthy alternatives as well. Growing some portions of your own fruits and vegetables can also be a great solution. It is not enough for one person to adopt this lifestyle, but popularizing the efforts to convert a few people at a time can lead to the eventual replacement of this jeopardizing industry. To save lives of innocent animals, clean up our freshwater supply, feed starving people, reduce illness and disease, stop deforestation, and restore the biodiversity of the land once occupied by cattle, we should emphasize this solution.