LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS, May 1, 2022 (PHYS. org): National Meat Free Week (7–13 March) is an initiative to reduce meat consumption. Assistant professor Paul Behrens of Leiden University is studying what impact a change in our food consumption would have on the world. What, according to him, are the main reasons to switch to a (mainly) plant-based diet? “If you look at all the different types of environmental impacts, switching to a plant-based diet is the single largest action that we can take as individuals,” says Behrens. “Food systems are behind energy when it comes to driving climate change but they still make up a third of all emissions. It is an important way in which individuals can have a big impact.”
A plant-based diet contributes in many different ways to a cleaner environment, says Behrens. “Livestock farming is disastrous for biodiversity and is the biggest driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. The manure from animal agriculture runs off into waterways, causing algae to grow and depleting the water of oxygen creating dead zones. There are greenhouse gas emissions from the belching of cattle, manure, and the use of fertilizer to grow crops to feed to livestock. In the US, researchers found that livestock farming is the largest agricultural contributor to air pollution. I haven’t even touched on soil pollution when stocking levels are too high, or antibiotic resistance driven by the antibiotics fed to animals worldwide. The list goes on.”
More at source.
https://phys.org/news/2022-03-main-plant-based-diet.html