A study might make you rethink your stance on the animal-based food diet you are on. The new study, published in Nature Food, revealed that meat production accounts for around 60% of overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating from the food industry. It appears to confirm and validate earlier studies on the need to reform the food system.
The studys significant findings
The studys objective was to investigate how global food production influenced the environment. Research findings were culled from multicountry data (200+ countries) as well as 16 animal products and 171 crops. This study evaluated numerous parts of the food production chain, from crop growing, livestock, fertilizer use, and transportation.
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that food production as a whole was responsible for 35% of all GHG emissions (17.3 billion metric tons) annually. In comparison, the United States generates half of this amount.
Emissions from the meat industry
Within the food production industry, meat posed a significant concern for scientists. To raise animals for food accounts for 57% of the entire emission count within food production.
Comparatively, plant-based food production only accounts for half of the emissions in the food industry – or 29 percent.
Within the meat sector, beef is to blame for 25% of the total emissions in the food system. This is in stark contrast to rice, the plant-based sectors largest emitter, which only takes up 12% of the food systems emissions.
Questioning the systems lapses
The studys lead author Xiaoming Xu opined that raising animals for food isnt efficient based on actual evidence. It is even more worrisome to note that most crops raised are consumed by livestock and not people.
In an interview with The Guardian, Xu explained that the worlds food system is organized in a way that is very inefficient. For example, producing meat requires producing more food to feed the animals, generating more emissions. In addition, more biomass is required to feed the animals to level the number of calories.
Co-author Atul Jain told The Guardian that its high time for policymakers to seriously think about how to reform the food production system seriously. He added that the studys results could be used to rethink how to control greenhouse gas emissions.
Jain explained that humanitys relationship with food is mostly based on personal choice. So while its not on anyone to impose, those who claim to be serious about arresting climate change ought to change their dietary habits.
A previous 2019 large-scale study on the food system recommended shifting to a vegan diet to reduce ones carbon footprint.
