You can find more and more vegan products in supermarkets, as well as customers who want to discover the world of plant-based cuisine. More and more people are questioning their eating habits, wanting to reduce their meat consumption and do something good for their health and the environment. In this article, we have already explained the many different ways of eating a balanced vegan diet. But is a vegan diet also the most sustainable option from an environmental perspective?
What impact does animal-based food have on the environment and climate?
1. More space for animal-based food
When people eat a purely plant-based diet, they obtain their food directly from agricultural land. An animal-based diet, however, first requires feed grown on this agricultural land, which is then later used for the production of animal-based food. Around 75% of the nutrients fed to animals are consumed and excreted by the animals themselves. As animals need a lot of feed in order to produce meat, milk and eggs, a large proportion of the protein and energy fed to the animals is lost for our diet. The production of animal-based foods therefore consumes much more land than the production of plant-based foods. Large areas of land are used throughout Europe and globally for the cultivation of animal feed.
2. Greenhouse gases from livestock farming
Livestock farming contributes significantly to direct, climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. The greenhouse gas methane is formed in the manure and during the digestion of cattle, sheep and goats, which has a much greater warming effect on the climate than CO2. In addition, the climate-impacting nitrous oxide is produced during the storage and fertilization of manure. Further greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the fertilization of animal feed areas, the clearing of forests and the drainage of moors. From a global perspective, livestock farming is responsible for around 15 percent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Loss of biodiversity
High meat consumption also means that many European countries have to import animal feed from abroad in order to meet demand. In South America in particular, many forests are being cleared to create new arable land for soybean cultivation. But in Europe, too, forests are being cleared, moors drained and other valuable areas destroyed in order to grow animal feed. This has negative long-term consequences for biodiversity.
A vegan diet is good for the climate
Switching to a vegan diet could save between 38 and 52% of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions and significantly reduce the land footprint. According to the WWF, a vegan diet has the least impact on the climate compared to an omnivorous or vegetarian diet and protects biodiversity by preserving important ecosystems.
Incidentally, a meat-free or low-meat scenario does not mean that there will be too little food for us humans – because by doing without animal products, agricultural land that becomes available in the future could also be used for a conversion to organic farming and for the cultivation of plant-based protein sources for direct consumption.
The simple rule of thumb for a sustainable diet in times of climate crisis is therefore: focus more on plant-based foods, give preference to organic foods and reduce animal-based foods and food waste.
