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The UN is urging the world to opt for a vegan diet to help to combat global warming and environmental damage. Eating less meat and dairy, according to the UN, is absolutely vital to combat climate change. Agriculture, especially meat and dairy farming, accounts for 70 per cent of global fresh water use, 38 per cent of total land use, and a substantial 19 per cent of the planet’s greenhouse emissions.
What the report says
The UN report, released yesterday, says that a global shift towards a vegan diet is essential to putting a stop to world hunger, a lack of fuel, and the worst of climate change. It’s expected that the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050, and feeding the world on meat and dairy will just no longer be sustainable. This is according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) panel.
Increasing impact with population growth
UNEP says: ‘Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products.’
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The report’s lead author, Professor Edgar Hertwich, adds: ‘Animal products cause more damage than producing construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as burning fossil fuels.’
Experts agree
These UNEP recommendations follow on advice from Nicholas Stern, former advisor to the Labour government, last year. His claim that a vegetarian diet is better for the planet is backed by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s chair, who urges people to eat no meat at least one day a week, to help curb carbon emissions.
If you’re thinking of opting for a vegan diet, start off by making a few changes in your fridge. Opt for soya milk instead of cow’s milk, try tofu for a change, and think about replacing hamburgers and sausages with vegetarian options.
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