Projections by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization anticipate a food gap of 70% between the crop calories available in 2006 and the calorie demand in 2050. This demand will be fuelled by two growing trends: a global population that is estimated to reach 10 billion people by 2050 and the expansion of the global middle class. This changes food consumption preferences to more resource-intensive foods such as dairy and meat [7]
As the World Resources Institute suggests, continuously increasing agricultural production is neither desirable, nor sustainable: this would exert even more pressure to convert natural ecosystems into farm or pasture land. Therefore, the organisation recommends tackling the issue of overconsumption of calories. This would also have a positive impact on health by reducing the risks of obesity that is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. Their findings indicate that it would be possible to feed 10 billion people by 2050 using existing agricultural land, simply by reducing the consumption of animal-based foods among the world’s wealthier population.
So, what can you do?
Do you have to become a vegetarian to have an impact? No, you don’t have to completely stop eating animal-based products. Start by introducing one or two meat-free days in your schedule. When you do eat meat, try to opt for more sustainable types of meat such as pork, chicken or fish instead of beef. Try to fit more plant-based proteins such as tofu, lentils or beans into your diet and add a little less milk to your ‘cà phê’. These simple changes alone can already reduce your environmental footprint by a lot. For example, for people with an American-style diet it is possible to cut the environmental impact of their diet nearly in half, simply by eating 50% less meat, dairy, fish and eggs [8].
WRI’s research has shown that if the 2 billion people who today consume a lot of meat and dairy decide to reduce their intake, this could free up to 640 million hectares of land. This is an area the size of India. We can all play a role in this. Every meal counts! If we all commit to adapting our diet, this could be a true game changer for the planet and its people.
Picture by CIAT
[1] Phuong, Cuong and Mergenthaler (2014). Effects of Socio-economic and Demographic Variables on Meat Consumption in Vietnam. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 4(1), pp. 7-22. [http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/198325/2/2-388-AJARD-4(1)2014-7-22.pdf]
[2] Idem
[3] The Voice of Vietnam.* Vietnam eyes sustainable growth of cattle industry*. 10 May 2016 [http://english.vov.vn/trade/vietnam-eyes-sustainable-growth-of-cattle-industry-319334.vov]
[4] Phuong, Cuong and Mergenthaler (2014)
[5] Damian Carrington. Giving up beef will reduce carbon footprint more than cars, says expert. 21 July 2014. The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/21/giving-up-beef-reduce-carbon-footprint-more-than-cars]
[6] Chalmers University of Technology. Eggs and chicken instead of beef reap major climate gains. 1 April 2015 [http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/chalmers/pressreleases/eggs-and-chicken-instead-of-beef-reap-major-climate-gains-1137457].
[7] World Resources Institute (2016). Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future [http://www.wri.org/publication/shifting-diets]
[8] Richard Waite. How I Tweaked My Diet to Cut its Environmental Footprint in Half. 20 April 2016. World Resources Institute [http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/how-i-tweaked-my-diet-cut-its-environmental-footprint-half]