Our environment provides us with vital resources like clean water, fresh air, and fertile soil for agriculture. Sadly, certain human activities and developments are causing significant harm to our planet, leading to serious consequences.
The encouraging news is that veganism, which involves choosing plant-based foods over animal meat and dairy, offers a way to reduce our environmental footprint and secure a brighter future.
In this article, we will discuss how veganism is not merely a personal decision but an important step towards reducing our environmental impact and fostering a more sustainable food system.
Each of us has a “carbon footprint,” measuring the greenhouse gases we produce. Our food choices significantly impact our carbon footprint.
Going vegan is the most effective way to reduce it, potentially by up to 73%, according to Oxford University. This is because producing animal products involves emissions at every stage, from deforestation to livestock waste.
Plant-based meat production emits up to 90% fewer greenhouse gases than traditional meat. Just one plant-based meal can offset emissions like a long car trip. In fact, adopting a full-time plant-based diet can significantly lower our carbon footprint.
If more people make this change, it can substantially reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, helping combat climate change.
In the meat industry, harmful emissions don’t just come from animal waste. Our food system heavily relies on fossil fuels for growing, preparing, and transporting food, making it the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions at 25%.
The meat production process demands substantial energy, with about 31.5 kilowatt-hours needed to produce one pound of beef, roughly what your fridge uses in a month.
In contrast, plant-based protein sources like soy beans and nuts require far less processing, making them much more energy-efficient than meat. Transitioning to plant-based options not only conserves energy but also reduces emissions from fossil fuels.
Factory farm waste isn’t just an air problem; it harms oceans too. Animal waste can create “dead zones” in oceans due to chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus.
These zones lack oxygen, and the Gulf of Mexico is a glaring example, suffering from pollution from animal farming.
Greenhouse gas emissions heat the atmosphere and oceans, triggering ocean acidification. This makes seawater more acidic, harming marine life and reefs. The meat industry, including fishing, plays a role in this harm.
Opting for plant-based diets can help protect the oceans by reducing the impact of these industries on underwater ecosystems.
In our current food system, 8.9% of the world’s population, or around 690 million people, face hunger and food insecurity, not knowing where their next meal will come from. Soil degradation and climate change could further disrupt food production, exacerbating this issue.
Going vegan, as we’ve discussed, helps combat deforestation, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions tied to meat production, aiding in the fight against climate change and ensuring food security.
If the entire world shifted to a plant-based diet, we could free up 75% of global farmland currently used for raising animals and producing animal feed. This land could be used to grow healthy plant-based protein, potentially feeding more people and alleviating global hunger.
Each and every one of us has the power to create a more sustainable food system for animals, for the planet, and for us all. Leaving animals off our plates is the single biggest way we can reduce our individual impact on the environment.
And, while it may not solve every single one of the world’s problems, it helps stop the threat of climate change, which, according to the UN, is the biggest threat modern humans have ever faced.
So, join the movement to save our planet by making the switch to plant-based food. Everbest, an established vegetarian food manufacturer in Malaysia, offers nutritious, convenient vegetarian meat products.
No. of packet/carton: 15
No. of packet/carton: 7
Unit m3/carton: 0.0135
Unit m3/carton: 0.0224
Unit m3/carton: 0.0214
Unit m3/carton: 0.0224
Weight/packet: 350g
No. of packet/carton: 12
Unit m3/carton: 0.0166
Unit m3/carton: 0.0364
Unit m3/carton: 0.098
