There is almost no industry that causes no damage to the environment. Meat production is one of the business activities that hugely contribute to climate change. Despite society is moving toward more conscious and responsible consumption, nature-harmful tendencies do not disappear. Switching to plant-based diets can improve the environmental problem in the world, though such diets have ambiguous implications.
There are many reasons why meat production negatively affects the environment. It is a well-known fact that the meat industry is one of the most serious causes of global deforestation. This practice occurs due to the need to produce animal feed in large quantities, thus making meat production unsustainable in environmental terms. Moreover, existing cattle-fattening farms are among the ‘leaders’ in producing greenhouse gases (Hocquette et al. 1018). Methane and nitrous oxide resulting from enteric fermentation and nitrogen excretion lead to significant pollution (Hocquette et al. 1018). In turn, large volumes of carbon dioxide emissions accelerate global warming.
Deforestation caused by meat production usually implicates biodiversity loss. Considering the beef consumption rates that reach about 40 kg per person per year in the U.S. and Brazil and almost 60 kg in Argentina provide the highlight into the scale of damage (Hocquette et al. 1018). Although society recognizes the need for rethinking the accustomed approaches to meat production, the transfer of knowledge and development of innovations in this food sector remains weak (Hocquette et al. 1018). Here, the geographical, societal, and economic diversity of meat-producing regions and disconnection in supply chains play an aggravating role because values conveyed by primary producers are often not clearly understood (Hocquette et al. 1018). Thus, high consumption rates and internal challenges in meat production contribute to a negative impact on the environment.
Shift to plant-based nutrition looks like a promising trend in improving the environmental situation, though it may have negative implications. People around the world demonstrate a higher interest in decreasing the consumption of animal-source foods (ASF), such as sausages, yogurt, nuggets, and so forth (Wickramasinghe et al. 1). There is a strong indication that plant-based meat will acquire more popularity (Wickramasinghe et al. 1). Diets free of ASF or those containing low amounts of them facilitate reducing the negative impact on the environment (Wickramasinghe et al. 2). However, there is no evidence on the inarguable healthfulness of such nutrition modes because the composition of plant-based foods and their quality and diversity remain under question (Wickramasinghe et al. 2). As one can see, plant-based food consumption requires a balance between environmental and social or demographic consequences.
Another aspect of plant-based foods is their processing approaches. Ultra-processed food (UPF) refers to substances produced from such foods as fats, sugars, and starches, as well as whole foods with added colors, emulsifiers, and flavors (Wickramasinghe et al. 1). In view of this, there is no warranty that a plant-based sausage is not a result of ultra-processing (Wickramasinghe et al. 2). On the one hand, ultra-processing can result in pollution with chemicals and substances harmful for the environment. On the other hand, it is possible to suppose that high demand for plant-based food may also require large land areas, which can also lead to deforestation. Thus, the reduced consumption of meat and ASFs seems to be not enough to prevent drastic environmental consequences.
To conclude, meat production is proven to bring dramatic harm to the environment mainly because of carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation. Switching to plant-based diets promises positive results in conserving the environment. However, little evidence remains on the impact of such foods on human health. Therefore, the shift to plant-based nutrition may lead to other unknown and under-evaluated challenges in society.
Works Cited
Hocquette, Jean-François, Ellies-Oury, Marie-Pierre, Lherm, Michel, Pineau Christele, Deblitz, Claus, and Farmer, Linda. “Current Situation and Future Prospects for Beef Production in Europe — A Review.” Asian-Australian Journal of Animal Sciences, vol. 31, no. 7, 2018, pp. 1017-1035.
Wickramasinghe, Kremlin, Breda, Joao, Berdzuli, Nino, Rippin, Holly, Farrand, Clare, and Halloran, Afton. “The Shift to Plant-Based Diets: Are We Missing the Point?” Global Food Security, vol. 29, 2021, pp. 1-4.