Hi VV

Hi VV,

I’ve heard people say that eating vegan or vegetarian is better for the planet. But, why? What are some easy answers that I can throw out if I want to give people a reason why I’m eating more plant-based for the planet?

Thanks,

Wondering

Darling Wondering,

Great question! And yes, it’s true! Eating more fruits & vegetables is not only good for your mind and body, it’s also good for the planet. But here’s the deal, I’m not here for dogma. I’m not going to tell you to never eat cheese or meat or fish again. If you love those things, or if the thought of eating only plants for the remainder of your days sounds daunting and horrible, then take a different approach. Think simply about eating less of those things and more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and you will still have a positive impact on yourself and your environment. And if you still eat meat or fish, try to be more aware of where you’re getting it. There are a lot of farms and ranches that are using sustainable methods to raise livestock and that’s a good thing. Try to move away from the factory-farm produced masses in supermarkets. Some of us are wired to take huge steps, to make sweeping changes; but others of us, maybe most of us, are wired to take many, many smaller steps that lead to better habits and lasting change.

But I digress, your question was about how eating plant-based helps the planet. Some quick points:

• Animal waste, hormones, fertilizers, and antibiotics from livestock at factory farms damages precious topsoil and gets into our streams, rivers, and oceans, wreaking havoc on the fragile ecosystems therein.

• Water is an increasingly scarce resource and raising livestock requires tens of thousands of gallons of water, whereas cultivating vegetables and grains requires far less.

• Land use patterns for animal agriculture are, in a word, wack. Animal agriculture consumes a majority of farmland in the world AND requires about one-third of the globe’s grain/feed crops grown to feed those animals. Only the more affluent people in the more affluent countries tend to eat those animals, which means that most of our farmland is being used to feed a small percentage of the world.

• A lot of deforestation is the result of clearing land to use for animal agriculture. We need our forests for their ability to breathe and remove carbon dioxide from the air.

• Greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture are twice those of plant-based agriculture.

If you want to really dig in and learn more, several studies have come out in recent years. Check out the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2022 Report, this 2019 study from The Lancet, or this one from the journal Nature.

Thanks for writing! Be good to yourself and #beversatile -

VV