Greenhouse Gases and Vegan Diet

The environment will not improve, because of a VEGAN Diet!?

We all thought the Vega diet will improve the environment, or instead let’s say, Vegan diets are sold to people with this philosophy. Do Vegan diets, or vegetarian diets help the environment by reducing greenhouse gases? I’m often asked these questions, below is a detailed analysis of whether it does or not.??

Firstly let’s dive deep into some global data to understand how the dietary world in this world functions.?

84% of the world's population eats meat regularly (2018 survey by GlobalData)

9% of the global population identifies as vegetarian. (2021 survey by Ipsos)

Vegans in the (United States) grew from 1% in 2014 to 5% in 2020 (2020 Survey by Good Food institute)

Let’s now understand that the world’s problem of livestock and manure concerning greenhouse gas emissions is only 5.8% of the burden. It is much smaller than what the media leads us to believe. So, if we wiped out all the livestock and manure in the world, we would affect 5.8% betterment while eliminating a considerable quality of nutrient source for humans. Agriculture, including livestock, accounts for around 18.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is a much less insignificant impact than the claims. In contrast, transportation and energy use in the industry contributes to 40.5% of the global emissions burden, representing a far more significant opportunity for reducing greenhouse gases.

Now the question relates to the trilemma and the crucial discussion about the role of agriculture, livestock and greenhouse gases. So if we were to draw a Venn diagram with three circles entitled “defining environmental impact”, “optimising land use”, and “optimising diets”, the honest answer lies in finding out where the three circles interact and overlap with one another.

The term trilemma was coined in 2014 in this paper in Nature by Tilman and Clark. It argues that agriculture has this delicate balancing act of climate effects and greenhouse gas emissions with a good quality diet. We can consume a sugar diet with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, but of course, it’s not healthy.

We understand that while animals do generate greenhouse gases, it’s around 5.8%, compared to fossil energy and waste, at approximately 76.4% of greenhouse gases. However, animals also generate over 33% of the globe’s protein and almost 69% of dietary protein in India. We have to start looking a little differently into this trilemma and how do we balance what agriculture does and how the land is used? How should the diet quality be balanced and issues like that?

We need to discern the role of livestock in land use. Of the world’s land, only 11% is arable, where crop production is done perpetually, and essentially all are in use. For instance, our primary crops in India are grains, millet and pulses. Anyone who considers going vegan thinks instantly about vegetables and fruits. It is crucial to recognise that 33% of fruits and vegetables consumed in India is imported, and perhaps one of the significant cause of greenhouse emission due to transportation.

The point that I started with is that if one is genuinely looking at the greenhouse gas, we would have to consume more wheat, rice, corn and sugar. Vegetables produce more or less the same or more greenhouse gases as milk and eggs. And livestock, the reality is completely distorted due to this natural forage decay. The issue is that cattle are held responsible for their entire lifespan of eating, but it’s utterly misleading because of the grasses they’re consuming.

Let’s not consume animal products in the diet message is a black sheep for what energy used in buildings, transport, energy use in industry, and wastage did to contribute to global warming. The reality of the belief that plant-based diets are going to save the planet is incorrect and dangerous to human health.

In conclusion, if one really wants to make an impact that honestly contributes to combating greenhouse gases while keeping a population healthy and strong while optimising land use is to

1. Consume local food instead of imported fruits and vegetables.

2. Curtail on snacks and beverages, ordering food from restaurants as much as possible, which is supplied in plastic and wrappers.

3. Use public transport.

4. Walk short distances instead of using private vehicles.

5. And most importantly, don’t waste food.