Vegan Diet Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 75%, Study Finds
A new study conducted by the University of Oxford has found that individuals who adopt a vegan diet emit 75% less greenhouse gas than those who consume 100 grams of meat per week. The study, published in Nature, comes at a time when the world is facing extreme climate change events, raising concerns about how to improve the situation.
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the study revealed that a vegan diet also leads to much less destruction of wildlife, with a reduction of 66%. Furthermore, it was found that a vegan diet uses less than half of the water needed to produce food compared to an omnivorous diet.
Experts have long emphasized the importance of reducing meat consumption as one of the most significant individual actions to mitigate environmental impact. However, this study is groundbreaking as it measured the effects on a sample size of over 55,000 participants, following the entire food supply chain.
The global food system is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of lake and river pollution, and 70% of freshwater consumption. The study highlights that it is not necessary to completely eliminate meat consumption to have a significant impact. Eating an average of 50 grams of meat per day, for example, can halve an individual’s emissions.
The research also reveals that there is no significant difference in pollution between pescetarian, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets with low meat consumption. Therefore, the authors emphasize that individuals in affluent nations must drastically reduce their meat consumption, potentially with the help of cultivated meat and vegetable substitutes, to achieve carbon neutrality. However, institutions also need to intervene in a targeted manner to achieve this goal.
Interestingly, the recommended average of 50 grams of meat per day is similar to the Mediterranean diet, which has long been praised for its health benefits. However, only 13% of Italians follow this diet optimistically, and 5% adhere to it pessimistically. According to the traditional Mediterranean diet, no more than 28 grams of protein per day, from animal sources, should be consumed. However, the average meat consumption in Italy is around 104 grams per day, and when accounting for the parts of animals that are discarded, the figure doubles to 216 grams per day.
It is clear that these figures are far too high for a country that needs to drastically reduce its emissions. The study highlights the urgency for individuals and institutions alike to take action and make significant changes in their consumption patterns to combat climate change effectively.
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