Democratic Rights: Consumption of Natural Resources - Veg vs. Non-Veg

The main beauty of democracy is the belief in the concept of equal rights to natural resources, recognizing each person's entitlement to non-human things. However, when we analyse this reasonably, we find that most deaths due to hunger, scarcity of potable water, and ecological imbalance are a result of the blind exploitation of natural resources to satisfy the ever-growing demand for non-vegetarianism.

I am articulating the importance of becoming vegetarian to make democracy more viable and meaningful concerning the following indispensable natural resources.

Water Usage

On average, producing animal-based foods generally requires more water compared to plant-based foods, but the difference is not as high as 50 times. For instance, beef production can require around 15,000 liters of water per kilogram, while vegetables typically require between 300 and 500 liters per kilogram. This can imply a factor of about 30 times more water for beef compared to vegetables, but this varies widely among different food items and production practices.

According to PETA India, while millions of people around the world are experiencing droughts and water shortages, much of the world’s water supply is being diverted to animal agriculture. It takes 20,940 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of meat, but only 503 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of wheat. A pure vegetarian diet requires only 1,137 litres of water per day, while a meat-based diet requires more than 15,160 litres of water per day.?

The production of one kilogram of beef requires 15,414 litres of water on average. The water footprint of meat from sheep and goat (8,763 litres) is larger than that of pork (5,988 litres) or chicken (4,325 litres). The production of one kilogram of vegetables, on the contrary, requires 322 litres of water. (Source: globalagriculture.org )

Grain Consumption

Producing animal-based foods, especially beef, requires a significant amount of feed. However, the ratio is not as high as 50 times. It’s more commonly cited that producing 1 kilogram of beef might require about 7 kilograms of grain. Scientists estimate that animals must be fed up to 10 kilograms of grain to produce just 1 kilogram of meat. The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people – more than the entire human population on Earth.?

It takes 20,940 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of meat, but only 503 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of wheat.

A pure vegetarian diet requires only 1137 litres of water per day, while a meat-based diet requires more than 15160 litres of water per day.?

1 kilogram meat require about 10 kilograms of grain.

The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people (more than the entire human population on Earth).

Livestock production uses about 83% of the world’s agricultural land but provides only 18% of calories.

A 2000 kcal high meat diet produces 2.5 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as a vegan diet.

15- 20 per cent of the methane gas emissions globally are produced by animals raised for food.

Entire ecosystems are being destroyed to make room for factory farms and for grazing animals.

Land Usage

Animal agriculture indeed uses more land than plant-based agriculture. Studies suggest that livestock production uses about 83% of the world’s agricultural land but provides only 18% of calories. However, the land use is not 60 times more; it’s generally cited that it can be up to 20-30 times more land-intensive for certain types of meat compared to plant-based foods.

Nearly 60% of the world’s agricultural land is used for beef production, yet beef accounts for less than 2% of the calories that are consumed throughout the world. Beef makes up 24% of the world's meat consumption, yet requires 30 million square kilometres of land to produce. (Source: globalagriculture.org )

According to a BBC report, of the world’s approximately five billion hectares (12 billion acres) of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock. If everyone became #vegetarian by 2050, food-related emissions would drop by 60%.

Deforestation

Deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions are significantly driven by meat consumption. Forests are cleared for livestock grazing and growing animal feed, leading to habitat loss and increased carbon dioxide levels. Livestock also produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, exacerbating climate change. Reducing meat consumption can help mitigate these environmental impacts.

As per the data provided by the globalagriculture.org , “A 2,000 kcal high meat diet produces 2.5 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as a vegan diet, and twice as many as a vegetarian diet. Moving from a high meat?to a low meat diet would reduce a person's carbon footprint by 920kg CO2e every year - equivalent to a return flight from London to New York. Moving from a high meat diet to a vegetarian diet would save 1,230kg CO2e per year.” (Source: globalagriculture.org )

According to the WorldWatch Institute, between 15 and 20 per cent of the methane gas emissions globally are produced by animals raised for food. These gasses contribute to?climate change?and can sicken the people who live in communities around farms. Raising animals for food is a major cause of water pollution in the industrialized world. According to the PETA India, the bacteria, pesticides, and antibiotics concentrated in animal flesh are also present in their feces, which can have catastrophic effects on the ecosystems surrounding large farms.

Meat production does drive a massive amount of deforestation. According to the World Wildlife Fund, beef and soy drive more than two-thirds of the recorded habitat loss in Brazil’s Amazon, where the bulk of tropical rainforest loss occurs.

Conclusions and Suggestions?

Non-vegetarians consume significantly more water and grains and utilize much more land compared to vegetarians. For instance, producing animal-based foods can require up to 30 times more water and up to 20-30 times more land compared to plant-based foods. Not only this, non-vegetarians are cause of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. These differences highlight the environmental impact of dietary choices. Therefore, I appeal to everyone to consider their diet to make the world better, more equal, and democratic, as well as to make Earth more sustainable and equipped for survival. I also urge governments, industries, and the United Nations to assist individuals previously employed in the livestock industry with transitioning to new careers. These could include opportunities in agriculture, reforestation efforts, or producing bioenergy from crop byproducts that are currently used as livestock feed.

#vegetarian #vegan #nature #humanity #saveearth #ecology #COP #environment