Brigitte von Oppenfeld: The Role of Vegetarianism in a Sustainable Future
The Food and Agriculture Organization has deemed sustainable diets as “those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations.1”In order to accommodate the rapid growth of the United States population, long term sustainability in the food industry is vital.2 However, the average American’s meat-based diet is exhausting both the environment and its limited supply of nonrenewable resources.3 Contrariwise, plant-based diets consume less energy and are less taxing on the environment than meat-based ones.4 This is indicative of the potential vegetarian diets have to optimize food production and its environmental impact. Thus, a shift from meat-based to plant-based diets among Americans may be an effective route to a sustainable future.
The demand for meat in the United States has caused modern agricultural practices to stretch the environment to its limit. As technology has emerged allowing agricultural output to increase, the environmental impact of food production has increased as well.5 These high meat-producing practices, cause pollution the water, soil, and air, use large amounts of energy, and decrease biodiversity in the environment.6 In comparison to meat-based diets, vegetarian diets require less water, energy, fertilizer, and pesticides.7
About 80% of the water in the US is used for irrigation of crops or to water livestock.8 The high amount of water used for livestock and its food put a stress on the limited freshwater supply available in many areas, especially during times of drought. Generation of animal waste exacerbates this problem by polluting water, as well as the soil and air.9Additionally, pollution of water due to runoff or irrigation leakage contributes to water shortages in the nation.10
Energy consumption from meat production places a high toll on the environment as well. The food industry contributes to 17% of fossil fuel consumption in the US.11 Fossil fuels are the number one contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which are speeding up the process of global climate change.12 Fossil fuels are also nonrenewable resources, so they will not be a sustainable option for future generations. On average, the production of meat protein requires about 11 times as much energy from fossil fuels as plant protein. If plant-based diets were more prevalent among Americans, fossil fuel consumption would decrease substantially, along with the food industry’s carbon footprint.
Biodiversity has been harmed as well by the expansion of livestock production. The use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides has increased rapidly in modern agriculture. More crops are required to be grown to feed livestock in addition to people, and many farmers have turned to chemicals to make up for soil infertility and maximize crop survival.13 These chemical fertilizers and pesticides have contaminated water, polluted air, and require large amounts of energy to produce. Biodiversity is hurt substantially by the development of chemical resistance in pests and the damage to numerous other plant and animal species.14 Land degradation from livestock also hurts ecosystems and decreases biodiversity by allowing the spread of invasive species and transmission of diseases.15
The negative impact of meat-based diets on the environment is evident, but Americans will need incentives to make more vegetarian-friendly choices. Sustainability in the food industry will require the government to regulate meat production and promote plant-based diets among consumers. Looking at the policies of European countries on food security and sustainability could serve as a template for the US.16 In Italy, environmental sustainability is incorporated in the food pyramid, and the United Kingdom, Sweden, and The Netherlands have all published policy reports addressing food sustainability.17 Other possibilities include taxing meat and promoting meat substitutes and other vegetarian options. Raising public support and awareness will be a challenge, but government framing of the problem will play a large role. In the United States, framing food sustainability as a socioeconomic issue, along with as a threat to health and the environment, could be one way to get consumers to switch to plant-based diets. Concurrent regulation of agriculture practices and monitoring of their environmental impact would also be important facets of the policy. While a nationwide shift away from meat-based diets will be difficult, it will play an important role in a sustainable future.
[1] Sabate, J., & Soret, S. (2014). Sustainability of plant-based diets: Back to the future. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/Supplement_1/476S.full.pdf.
2 Sabate & Soret
3 Pimental, D., & Pimental, M. (2003). Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78(3). Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/660S.full.pdf+html.
4 Aiking, H. (2014). Protein production: Planet, profit, people. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/Supplement_1/483S.full.pdf html.
5 Marlow, H., William, H., Soret, S., Carter, R., Schwab, E., & Sabate, J. (2009). Diet and the environment: Does what you eat matter? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(1). Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1699S.full.pdf+html.
6 Marlow, et. al.
7 Marlow, et. al.
8 Marlow, et. al.
9 Marlow, et. al.
10 Marlow, et. al.
[1]1 Pimental & Pimental
[1]2 Drewnowski, A., et. al. (2015). Energy and nutrition density of foods in relation to their carbon footprint. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/101/1/184.full.pdf html
[1]3 Marlow, et. al.
[1]4 Marlow, et. al.
[1]5 Marlow, et. al.
[1]6 Aiking
[1]7 Aiking