The Rise of Plant-Based Diets: The Health and Environmental Benefits
For good reason, plant-based eating habits are becoming more and more popular.
Living a plant-based lifestyle offers many advantages for the environment in addition to being crucial for our health. A lifestyle that emphasizes plant foods while still consuming a little quantity of dairy, meat, fish and eggs is known as a plant-based diet.
Environmental advantages of a plant-based diet
Emissions of Greenhouse Gases are reduced
Food production accounts for 30% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Meat has been recognised as the source of the largest greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing meat intake could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also enhancing overall health and reducing chronic disease.
Lowers land use
80% of deforestation is caused by food production, which is also the main cause of biodiversity loss. One of the main challenges to species biodiversity is the production of meat and dairy products, which uses the majority of agricultural areas of production. Food systems' resilience depends on biodiversity. Changing to a more plant-based diet would result in less land being utilized for the production of meat and dairy products and more space being used for crop cultivation. Increasing the number of people who consume a plant-based diet can reduce land use related to diet by 76% while simultaneously improving health outcomes.
Saves water
Living a plant-based diet could contribute to water saving. It requires 23% less water to produce 1 Kg of grain than it does to create 1 kg of beef and 24% of the world’s freshwater is used for cattle. By consuming fewer animals, the world would consume 114% less water. Additionally, by lowering the eutrophication brought on by animal waste and feed runoff, plant-based diets may enhance water quality.
Reduce pollution
It has been estimated that 35% of the contaminants that cause plant warming, according to scientists, are caused by food production. In addition, the production of meat contributes more than twice as much to pollution as that of grains, vegetables and fruits. According to research, adopting a plant-based diet can cut pollution by 49%. Extreme dietary changes are not necessary to have a positive environmental impact.
Prevents cruelty to animals
It is well known that animals used for food production suffer from poor treatment and have few legal safeguards. In reality, there is more interest in a study into in-vitro meat due to growing concerns over animal welfare and the damaging effects that meat production has on the environment.
Continue reading to find out what a plant-based lifestyle is, what it entails, and how switching to one can help the environment in modest ways.
