Food, agriculture and land use account for 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
A 2016 study by The National Academy of Sciences, found that a vegan diet could reduce food related greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. This means a nearly 15-17% reduction in total emissions could be achieved if everybody shifted to a meatless diet.
Other benefits of plant based diets:
- A 76% reduction in the area used for food production
- A reduction in methane gas (which has heat trapping properties 23 times higher than CO2)
- The land no longer required for food production could sequester an additional 86 Gt per year
- A 10% reduction in global freshwater use
- And, you might just reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.
To learn more about the carbon impact of a meat based diet, we recommend watching the film Cowspiracy. Even better, watch with a friend and start a conversation.