Having a beef burger or a grilled chicken tonight? I bet that’s tasty enough to make your stomach rumble, but what effect does it have on the environment? You may be enjoying that hamburger, but do you know how eating beef affects the environment? Sounds irrelevant, but it is indeed a fact that excessive meat consumption is one of the major causes of depleting biodiversity and increasing greenhouse gases emission. Let us explore is red meat bad for the environment or sustainable?
How Eating Beef Affects the Environment
Around 57% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from the entire food industry comes from meat production. Yes, it is shocking, but little did we know that other than this it also leads to widespread deforestation and loss of biodiversity. All these combined along with factory farming operations contribute to climate change on a large scale.
Here are the reasons how eating beef affects the environment:
1. Climate Change
The impact of meat industry pollution on the climate is huge. It is equal to the combined impact of all the driving cars, trucks, and flying planes worldwide. The destruction of forests for the purpose of industrial meat production leads to the release of billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn accelerates the pace of global warming.
Frequently, the fallen trees are neglected and left to decay on the forest floor or are recklessly burned, thereby generating additional emissions. Trees are important for taking in carbon dioxide from the air. If we cut them down, they cannot help us in the fight against climate change.
2. Deforestation and Forest Fires
The leading contributor to deforestation worldwide is industrial meat production. In Brazil, farmers intentionally ignite forest fires, similar to the ones you may have witnessed in the media related to the Amazon rainforest fires. They do this with the purpose of making room for cattle ranches and cultivating industrial animal feed such as soybeans, which are then sent back to farms in the UK.
3. GHG Emissions
The production of meat plays a significant role in the emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. As these gases are released into our planet’s atmosphere, they capture radiation and hinder the escape of heat, ultimately leading to the pressing issue of global warming.
Farmed animals contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions due to enteric fermentation, releasing potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide. These gases are much more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Considering dairy vs beef environmental impact, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), stated that meat and dairy products are responsible for roughly 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the industry contributes to the release of greenhouse gases due to feed production, transportation of animals, and emissions emitted during the slaughter process.
Cross-Reference: Interactive: What is the climate impact of eating meat and dairy?
4. Inefficient Eating
Companies argue that industrial meat production is efficient, but they overlook its true costs. More than 25% of the world’s land is used to feed and graze farm animals, instead of using that land to grow food for people. Just 1 kg of chicken meat takes 3.2 kg of crops to produce.
To avert climate breakdown, countries such as the UK would require a drastic reduction of 70% in meat and dairy consumption by 2030. By embracing a predominantly plant-based diet, we have the power to nourish a larger population with sufficient calories and essential nutrients, all while preserving precious forests.
5. Land Grabbing and Human Rights Abuses
Indigenous people and traditional communities, such as the geraizeira communities in Brazil, play a crucial role in protecting forests. A study conducted by Greenpeace Brazil revealed that security forces employed by Agronegócio Estrondo, a soya producer, have been targeting and mistreating geraizeira community members, including harassment, detention, abduction, and even shooting incidents. Such scenarios are common in other regions of the world too.
6. Risk of Pandemics
Another detrimental effect of how eating beef affects the environment is the rise of pandemics. The deforestation and conversion of wild areas for animal agriculture is a leading factor in the emergence of infectious diseases. Animal-to-human transmission accounts for about 75% of new diseases that afflict humanity. The detrimental act of forest destruction, through logging and burning, facilitates the interaction between wildlife and humans, providing a pathway for lethal viruses to jump species. The higher the extent of forest devastation, the more pronounced the danger of a looming pandemic becomes.
However, the risks of disease transmission associated with industrial meat production extend beyond a single disease. Factory farms can considerably contribute to the proliferation of diseases, not only among animals but also from animals to humans. This is yet another meat consumption environmental impact. The heightened threat arises due to the massive concentration of animals in confined spaces, coupled with the weakened immune systems of these animals. Consequently, this facilitates the accelerated development of viruses, thereby increasing the possibility of transmission to humans.
7. Rainforest Tipping Point
As trees in the Amazon rainforest cause rainfall, which is vital for the survival and well-being of the entire forest. Many people often ask, is red meat bad for the environment? Yes, indeed it is because If deforestation, particularly for industrial meat production, continues at its current pace, the Amazon may reach a point where it cannot sustain itself as a rainforest.
Deforestation negatively affects both the local communities and the wildlife in the forest. This can result in reduced rainfall, which in turn affects the water supply and agriculture in the South US. It also has global implications on climate patterns.
8. Soil Degradation
The production of animal feed is highly intensive, which leads to a depletion of nutrients in the land used for growing crops. This not only hampers soil fertility, but also causes the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, rather than the land being able to absorb it. This is yet another meat consumption environmental impact example, which is ruining the land fertility.
9. Water Wastage
While many people may not realize it, meat production is actually a major contributor to excessive water usage. The animal agriculture industry consumes vast quantities of water in order to raise and slaughter its animals.
Animal agriculture relies on feed production, accounting for a large portion of global water use. Almost 20% of fresh water worldwide is used for livestock feed. Slaughter methods in this industry also contribute to water consumption. To illustrate, a single slaughterhouse in California alone utilizes around 4 to 5 million gallons (about 18,927,050 L) of water daily to process its chickens.
Extensive water usage leads to various detrimental effects. These include:
- A heightened occurrence of droughts with greater intensity
- Compromised water security
- Depletion of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems
- Diminished soil fertility
10. Wildlife Destroyed
Industrial meat is endangering countless species, some of which remain unknown, through deforestation, habitat destruction, and the pervasive use of harmful pesticides for animal feed production.
A healthy environment is vital for our survival. The wide range of plants and animals in nature (known as biodiversity) is crucial for our food, clean water, and medicine. Industrial farming is causing a quick decline in biodiversity, which could be just as dangerous to us as climate change. Now that we know how eating beef affects the environment let us learn about the facts about meat consumption.
Statics of Environmental Impact of Meat Industry
Did you know?
- 44 percent of livestock greenhouse gas emissions are methane and 29 percent are nitrous oxide.
- Animal agriculture has a big impact on the environment, but it only contributes 18% of the total calories from global food production.
- Each year, more than 92 billion land animals are bred and killed for food.
- Livestock farming accounts for over a third around 77% of the world’s inhabitable land area at present.
- The animal agriculture industry is accountable for a minimum of 16.5 percent worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
- The production of 1 kilogram of meat requires anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 liters (about 1320.86 – 5283.44 gallons) of water, depending on the type. It takes 25 kilograms of grain and 15,000 liters (about 3962.58 gal) of water to produce just 1 kilogram of beef.
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Facts About Meat Consumption
The energy footprint of meat surpasses that of any other food, requiring 75 times more energy to produce than corn. Furthermore, the expanse of vegetation necessary for feeding Europe’s cattle and other livestock amounts to an area seven times the magnitude of the European Union.
Meat consumption differs significantly across countries. Let’s take a look at the top meat-consuming countries, ranked by the amount of meat consumed per person per year:
- Spain: 100 kgs (about 220.46 lb.)
- New Zealand: 101 kgs (about 222.67 lb.)
- Argentina: 109 kgs (about 240.3 lb.)
- Australia: 122 kgs (about 268.96 lb.)
- The US: 124 kgs (about 273.37 lb.)
On the contrary, several African nations consume less than 20 kilograms of meat per capita per year. Every year, around 72 billion animals are slaughtered for human meat consumption. Most of these animals, around 95%, are chickens. However, there are also over 300 million cattle and 1.5 billion pigs included in these numbers.
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Types of Meat Produced
In 2018, the distribution of global meat production was dominated by poultry, mainly chicken, pig meat, and beef, which accounted for around 92%.
- Beef & buffalo: 72 million tons
- Pig: 121 million tons
- Poultry: 127 million tons
- Sheep & goat: 15 million tons
- Other (including duck, goose, camel, horse): 11 million tons
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Is Eating Meat Sustainable?
There are numerous ways how eating beef affects the environment, but the sourcing of meat remains an undeniable factor in making things worse. Which means consumption of meat does not necessarily harm the environment if done in a considerable amount and through natural sources. If you opt for grass-fed beef, which comes from cows that graze on pasture throughout their lives, it is a commendable choice for sustainable meat consumption. Moreover, ruminants like cows can play vital roles in flourishing and robust ecosystems.
By adopting a plant-based diet globally, we could drastically reduce our need for farmland. In fact, we would require only 25% of the land currently used, which amounts to an area larger than the combined territories of the US, China, Europe, and Australia. This is due to the fact that growing food directly for human consumption requires significantly less land than producing feed for animals, which are ultimately consumed by humans.
Moreover, plant-based foods have a significantly smaller water footprint when compared to products derived from meat. Producing 1 gram of protein from beef requires six times more water than obtaining the equivalent amount of protein from pulses.
Source: Why Is Eating Meat Bad For the Environment and Climate Change?
