And you, have you slowed down on the steaks? One in two French people has significantly reduced their meat consumption in recent years. The main motivations are health, animal welfare and… protection of the environment. But why is eating less meat good for the planet?
We knew that reducing meat consumption is a practice good for health (nutritionists recommend a maximum of 500 g of red meat per week). But we are entitled to wonder why eating less meat is also good for the planet…
An effective means of individual action
Significantly limiting your meat intake (especially red meat) is one of the best ways we have to act individually against climate change.
In question, the energy and environmental resources considerable demands for raising cattle, sheep and other meat-producing animals (yes, yes, even chickens!).
Mentalities are changing and, on the consumption side, the intentions are there: one French person in two (48%) claims to have reduce meat consumption the past three years. The average consumer has certainly done so for health reasons and of animal wellbeingbut the environmental reason comes in third place.
Why eat less meat?
Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. A study published in 2018 in the review Nature indicated that to meet the objective of the Paris agreement, developed countries must reduce their meat consumption by 90%. Instead of three steaks a week, that only made a modest monthly slice of beef…
Industrial meat production has considerable environmental impacts. Of course, you have to associate the production of dairy products which comes from the same species.
It even increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015, driven up by consumer demand. 6 billion human beings consume dairy products in the world, a market of 300 billion euros.
Thus, reducing livestock breeding in order to tend, on a global scale, towards a less meaty and less milky diet would therefore have a series of positive consequences for the planet. Let’s see instead…
1. Less greenhouse gas emissions
Meat is equivalent to less than 20% of the calories consumed in the world, but its production represents 57% of emissions greenhouse gases from agriculture.
When you know that a cow releases 600 liters of methane per day and that there are 1.4 billion cattle, you just need to know how to count to see that livestock farming will be at the center of ecological issues.
As a reminder, methane is the second greenhouse gas in order of importance, just after CO2. Obviously, the reduction in animal husbandry practices will also reduce the consumption of oil needed to feed and maintain livestock.
2. Less water withdrawal
Less livestock means less drinking water to drink. Do you know that to produce 1 kg of beef, you have to use almost 14,000 liters of water.
Studies have shown that a person who eats meat every day indirectly consumes 4 times more water than a vegetarian.
3. Less land use and deforestation
Near 80% of the world’s agricultural land are intended either for livestock or fodder crops, which reinforces deforestation and conflicts over land use.
Fewer livestock also means fewer spaces reserved for food. It is thus possible to reduce the cultivation of fodder plants and cereals for animals in favor of crops dedicated to human consumption.
Read also:
The simple gesture that we can all do for the planet
The belching cow
7 ideas to limit food waste
The 5 R rule to limit your waste
4- Reduce pollution and nitrogen emissions
Finally, breeding can have an impact on the water quality, polluting waterways and groundwater. Hormones and antibiotics absorbed by animals are found in their urine and droppings.,
The major feed crop producers in the world are among largest users of fertilizers and pesticideswhich contaminate groundwater and harm biodiversity.
Significant quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus enter the waterways and are then discharged into the bays. One of the visible consequences of these rejections is the green algae bloomfed by nitrates, which invade certain coastlines such as the bays of Saint-Brieuc or Douarnenez in Brittany.
If during your next family meal, you are asked why eating less meat has a positive impact on the planet, you will have at least four “concrete” arguments to be used to animate the debates.