If the world adopted a plant-based diet we would reduce global agricultural land use from 4 to 1 billion hectares
If the world adopted a plant-based diet we would reduce global agricultural land use from 4 to 1 billion hectares
If everyone shifted to a plant-based diet we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75%. This large reduction of agricultural land use would be possible thanks to a reduction in land used for grazing and a smaller need for land to grow crops.
Summary
Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, with most of this used to raise livestock for dairy and meat. Livestock are fed from two sources – lands on which the animals graze and land on which feeding crops, such as soy and cereals, are grown. How much would our agricultural land use decline if the world adopted a plant-based diet?
Research suggests that if everyone shifted to a plant-based diet we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75%. This large reduction of agricultural land use would be possible thanks to a reduction in land used for grazing and a smaller need for land to grow crops. The research also shows that cutting out beef and dairy (by substituting chicken, eggs, fish or plant-based food) has a much larger impact than eliminating chicken or fish.
These all or nothing polls are useless. Sure it shows potential but you aren’t going to get everyone to do anything. It’s not possible. There is always going to be a handful of holdouts in any situation that just don’t want to do it. I’m one of those people.
The argument to not eat meat is lost on me. You can get me to recycle, go for sustainable farming, I work in green energy but meat? I’ll take my burger medium rare please. Don’t try to convince me otherwise. Im not going to eat vegan.
It‘s not all or nothing, if you had clicked the link actually you would have seen a lot of "it‘s not all or nothing" in there, I‘m not gonna cite it all, but here is one example:
But importantly large land use reductions would be possible even without a fully vegan diet. Cutting out beef, mutton and dairy makes the biggest difference to agricultural land use as it would free up the land that is used for pastures.
And fair enough, maybe you won‘t be convinced ever and happily chow down on beef burgers until the bitter end, but if it can convince some people to at least choose chicken instead or even just reduce their beef use as much as they can live with, then it‘s a already a useful study regardless of the holdouts.
Why are you on a vegan community, then?
Being vegan isn’t wrong or evil. It’s a dietary choice I think is right for some people. I’m here to educate myself and to offer an opposing opinion which is healthy for an idea to flourish.
The only time I’m had run ins with any vegans is when they call me a murderer. Listen I was a military veteran. You want to label me that for my time of service. That’s fair. But murdering an animal? I’ve never done that. I love animals, even cows. I’m a big believer in sustainable and healthy farming for animals.
What do you think would happen to the land now suddenly free, let’s say after one day everyone waking up vegan? That land would be exploited in another way.
Or not! We could have magnificent forests, for instance.
Magnificent forests, providing extra food..
Could you imagine what colossal sanctimonious shitbags everyone would be if the whole planet was vegan?