Plant-based for our planet
According to a report published in The Lancet in 2019, a dietary shift toward plant foods and away from animal products is critical for enhancing global health. According to the analysis, “vegan and vegetarian diets were associated with the biggest reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions in the future.”. By 2050, a global transition to a plant-based diet could cut mortality and greenhouse gas emissions caused by food production by 10% and 70%, respectively. “Animal products, both meat and dairy, in general consume more resources and create higher emissions than plant-based alternatives,” according to a UN Environment Programme research. “Reducing cattle herds would also lower emissions of methane, which is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide,” according to the World Health Organization.
Subsidies for fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains destined for human consumption could help combat climate change while also keeping people healthy. According to a survey by GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the world's five largest meat and dairy producers release more combined greenhouse gases than ExxonMobil, Shell, or BP, the top three oil firms. Researchers studied the greenhouse gas emissions of 35 of the world's largest beef, hog, poultry, and dairy producers. The researchers discovered that the companies' emissions have reached unsafe levels as a result of unrestricted growth and government subsidies to assure low production costs and supplies like animal fodder. emissions, and many are growing production without making any efforts to cut emissions. Meat and dairy farms will account for 80% of the anticipated greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if output is left unchecked. According to one study, substituting beans for beef could help the United States achieve its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Researchers examined predicted net emissions from legume cultivation, deducted them from average beef production rates, and compared them to 2020 U.S. reduction goals. Legumes could account for 46-74 percent of the required reductions, according to the findings.
