Can Vegetarianism Help Combat Climate Change?
Vegetarianism and climate change: It may seem far-fetched to think that a routine act like our food choices can have significant planet-saving impacts. But, indeed, this mundane act can play a crucial role in fighting the climate crisis. The food you eat directly influences factors such as processing methods, emissions, waste management, and deforestation—all of which contribute to climate change.
While alternative diets harm the environment, vegetarianism reduces greenhouse gases, mitigates biodiversity loss, prevents deforestation, and encourages the replenishment of flora and fauna. These benefits are all-important because they’re directly linked to globally recognized goals like the 30X30 biodiversity framework, which aims to protect 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030. In support, research also suggests that plant-based diet benefits offer a significant foundation for achieving these biodiversity targets by reducing stress on agricultural land and preserving ecosystems.
First, What Are the Environmentally Detrimental Non-Vegetarian Alternatives?
The alternative—animal protein–has proven to yield more environmental adversaries than good. Take the following examples:
1. The Livestock Industry
The livestock industry is a massive producer of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O, and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). It’s also a major contributor to biodiversity loss. In fact, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, livestock farming alone is responsible for about 14.5% of the world’s anthropogenic GHG emissions! Here’s a deep dive into how these detriments arise:
- Deforestation and Land-use Changes:
Leads to Biodiversity Degradation & GHG Emissions
To adequately supply and meet consumer demands for beef, vast pieces of land have to be cleared to create space for animal-rearing slots as well as animal feed growth and production—for example, substantial deforestation in the Amazon to make space for cattle-rearing. According to research, this activity alone contributes to over 3% of universal emissions. These clearcutting and land-use change activities lead to biodiversity degradation and go against the foundations of sustainable food choices. Needless to say, the reason they occur is to satisfy the continuously increasing consumer demand for beef.
Clearing forests for livestock aside, in other regions, while vast forest lands may not be cleared for livestock farming, grazing still yields adverse effects. For instance, pastoralists in the Kenyan highlands depend on the Mau Forest to feed their animals using naturally growing vegetation. This activity may appear harmless, but at the end of the day, it leads to:
- Long-term biodiversity degradation due to trampling destroys young plants.
- Extinction. It may also lead to the quashing of rare plant species vital to the forests’ ecosystem.
Deforestation also contributes to CO2 emissions. How? The destruction of trees causes them to release the CO2 they absorb while alive. This gas goes directly into the environ. The WWF decries deforestation and adds that a whopping 10% of global warming is owed to forest loss.
- Animal Feed Production: Produces N20
Feed production also produces GHG. Because the output of crops meant for animal feed demands not only:
- The use of fertilizers but also,
- A more-than-usual extensive application.
These fertilizers emit nitrous oxide. And N2O, according to Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, has a massive global warming potential of almost 300 times that of CO2!
- Enteric Fermentation: Produces CH4
The digestion process in ruminants like cows and sheep produces CH4 through enteric fermentation. Arguably, humans also produce methane, but the amount is minimal and a negligible factor in the climate crisis, proving the positive link between vegetarianism and climate change.
2. Fish Farming
Another example is fish farming. Gone are the days when fishermen and fish processing factories depended solely on naturally occurring fish. They’ve gone ahead and created fences within these natural water bodies to confine the seafood within a particular space and engineer their production either by speeding it up or enhancing it through additives and GMOs, among other human-induced interferences. Of course, this is for maximized harvests and, by extension, profit. But what happens in these farms?
- Pollution: The fish’s waste, concentrated within a tiny area, heightens the pollution rate. The result? Coral bleaching, as well as dangerous chemicals, are unleashed on aquatic ecosystems.
- Biodiversity Imbalances: Sick fish that eventually die or infect the rest, affecting the population, which in turn interferes with the biodiversity balance.
- Not to mention, the production of harmful fish, which is assumed to somehow feed on its own waste, is detrimental to human health.
3. Poultry Farming
Poultry farming, like other animal-rearing practices, must produce waste. However, research and real-life examples have found that some of the waste isn’t managed correctly. Instead, it’s disposed of in nearby fields, leading to adverse environmental effects through pollution. Not to mention, the resulting emissions find their way into humans’ respiratory systems and food, affecting not only the ozone layer but also human health.
Vegetarianism and Climate Change: So, Going Plant-based Can Save the Planet?
Yes. Considering the highlighted effects of animal protein farming, it’s reasonable to say that an alternative diet choice can help. This shift will divert demand from meat to plant-based food choices that, in turn, will give the planet benefits ranging from reduced GHGEs, less strain on forest land, biodiversity preservation, and resource preservation. For instance, the production of plant foods reduces the dependence on land and water by 28% and 18%, respectively, compared to the resources needed for the output of a similar quantity of animal protein (Viroli, Giulia, et al., 2023).
Now, let’s get into the specific ways that unveil the connection between vegetarianism and climate change.
1. Vegetarianism Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Plant-based foods ease the demand for animal agriculture, in turn reducing GHG emissions from processes. An example is methane, which is produced by enteric fermentation, the digestion process in ruminants. Vegetarianism can help combat this menace.
Additionally, plant-based diet benefits include the reduction of the amount of nitrous oxide emissions. This result will stem from the reduced use of fertilizers, thanks to a decline in the demand for animal feed. Here’s a visualization.
Needless to say, this emissions reduction benefit thanks to diet changes aligns with global goals, for example:
- The Paris Agreement: Sets out to shift global warming to >2°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this goal, joint efforts are required, both at individual and complex levels. And what better way to help than by making lifestyle changes that reduce your carbon footprint, starting with plant-based foods?
- COP28 also emphasized food system transformation, achievable through land use management, sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient food, and sustainable and regenerative production. All these goals are underpinned by sustainable consumption and production, which can be attained through sustainable food choices.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) joins the bandwagon by emphasizing that a shift to plant-based foods can help:
a) Remedy climate change,
b) Contribute to food security, and,
c) Meet the Paris Agreement
In its 2023 Synthesis report, the IPCC linked vegetarianism and climate change by advising that the shift can help reduce GHGs. Why? Of the 20% emissions from agriculture, plant-based food emits only half of the carbon emitted by animal-based alternatives. So, while it won’t eliminate GHGs, the point is to reduce them.
You must be thinking,
“But plant-based diets will increase the demand for the likes of soy and corn anyway, which is antithetical to the climate action goal!“
Indeed, it may look like shifting diet choices will drive more traffic toward the demand for soy and corn, among other vegetarian options anyway, consequently putting pressure on resources and increasing emissions.
However, this isn’t the case. Here’s why:
- Resource Preservation: Producing 1 kg of plant protein takes less water, energy, and land than producing 1 kg of animal protein. As such, there will be an overall reduction of pressure on land and other resources.
- Sustainable Production Methods and Materials: When plant products are produced for humans, farmers are bound to choose sustainable methods—for example, organic farming and reduced overreliance on synthetic fertilizers. The production of plants for livestock feed, on the other hand, doesn’t consider the production or farming methods much. As such, choosing more vegetarian choices will reduce the use of environmentally harmful products.
- Agricultural biodiversity is another beauty of going plant-based. Unlike animals whose feeds depend on only a few options, humans can diversify by relying on many other vegetarian choices like veggies, legumes, and seeds. This possibility consequently reduces the pressure on a single type of agriculture that may otherwise harm the environment through biodiversity decline.
- The conversion of plant calories to animal calories and proteins is highly inefficient and resource-intensive. Let’s shed light on this spectacle a little more.
When you eat plants, you consume calories directly from the source. Plants already produce calories through photosynthesis by converting sunlight, water, and CO2 into energy, which they store as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Now, all you need to do is consume the food, and you get the calories, which go directly into their end goal: giving you energy.
Animals, on the other hand, exhibit what we like to call double consumption and processing. Here’s how: When animals eat plants, while the calories give them energy, just like in humans, they also have to convert these calories into animal proteins to produce meat, milk, and eggs. Now you get the picture of resource-intensiveness, right?
Now, this process is inefficient because animals use a large amount of plant calories for their own metabolism, growth, and bodily functions, and a fraction of it is also converted to the end product, which is meat and animal products. This phenomenon leads to animal protein’s negative environmental impact because, unlike humans, they need more plants, which in turn means more land and water are required, as well as a resulting increase in the waste produced through enteric fermentation.
Human consumption, conversely, proves the relationship between vegetarianism and climate change, where the former can mitigate the latter.
2. Plant-based Diets Result in Water Conservation
Animal farming is more water-intensive than growing vegetable-related crops for human consumption. From the water needed for the animals’ drinking to watering their feed, the alternative human consumption is incomparable. To put this picture in perspective, a pound of beef requires 1,800 gallons of water to come to life, while veggies, grains, and legumes use less water. This comparison makes vegetarianism a winner when it comes to water conservation in the spirit of combating climate change.
| Food Choice | Required water |
| 1Kg of beef | 15,000 L |
| 1 kg soybeans | 2,200 L |
| Tofu | 2,523 L |
| Lentils | 2,517 L |
| Sheep | 10,600 L |
3. Choosing Vegetarian Foods Can Decrease Land-Use Changes and Deforestation
With vegetarianism, the Amazon will earn a much-needed breathing space as there’ll be less clearance to create fields for livestock farms, which will also apply in other regions. As such, it’s safe to say that vegetarianism can help preserve forests, maintaining their carbon absorption role.
A human plant-based diet also requires less land and other natural resources compared to animal protein. For example, beef requires more resources to produce 1 kg as compared to producing a plant-based diet of the same quantity, making vegetarian choices more advantageous as follows:
- Reduced pressure to convert forests and other habitats into agricultural land
- Preservation of carbon sinks
- Biodiversity preservation
4. Mitigating Biodiversity Loss Is Possible Through Vegetarianism
The expansion of agriculture for livestock feed is a leading cause of habitat loss and biodiversity decline. A shift toward plant-based diets reduces the need for such expansion, helping to preserve natural ecosystems and the species that depend on them. The result? Reduced deforestation, less demand for vast pieces of land, and decreased vegetation destruction through grazing outcomes that will help preserve the ecosystem.
It all starts with you and I making small steps regarding our food choices. Take the example of the “Meatless Monday” campaign; nurturing healthy habits while saving the planet through reduced emissions.
So, What’s the Takeaway on Vegetarianism and Climate Change?
Dietary choices, albeit seemingly mundane in the grand scheme of global climate change, collectively can significantly impact the fight against the climate crisis. It’s not only beneficial to human health but also a practical and effective move to reduce environmental impacts and contribute to global climate action efforts.
In the same breath, while we can’t discount the potential challenges of an increased demand for plant-based foods, it’s vital to acknowledge that the benefits outweigh the demerits. First, it comes with a consequent reduction in animal agriculture. This move yields overall environmental benefits like reduced greenhouse gas emissions, mindful and efficient land and resource use, reduced ecological footprint, and decreased deforestation.
Now, this is not to obligate you to give up your burgers, pork, and chicken if that’s your favorite meal, but rather to enlighten you on their impacts and implore you to make small steps towards the collective effort. Habits like reducing consumption can be beneficial in some regions, while in others, choosing sustainably produced alternatives can go a long way in adding to the compounding effect.
As a result, little by little, a predominantly plant-based world that aligns dietary choices with the local environment and sustainable practices will emerge. This shift will achieve the much-needed reprieve for the environment, aligning with global climate action goals and offering a pathway to climate action and a more sustainable future.
References
Illegal Deforestation for Forest-risk Agricultural Commodities Dashboard: Kenya. Drafted as of: September 2023. This dashboard was written by Cassie Dummett and Sofia Tenorio Fenton.
Viroli, Giulia, et al. “Exploring Benefits and Barriers of Plant-Based Diets: Health, Environmental Impact, Food Accessibility, and Acceptability.” Nutrients vol. 15,22 4723. 8 Nov. 2023, doi:10.3390/nu15224723
