Photo: Unsplash/ Gabriel Ghnassia.
It’s no secret that hamburgers are no good for the environment. We’ve known it for a long time, yet bad habits are hard to break, especially when they’re engrained into the food system. Meat is much more resource intensive to produce than plant-based foods. Despite this drastic difference in resources, oftentimes meat products, like hamburgers, are far more accessible and affordable for consumers than fresh produce. However, a recent study has shown that although the difference in resource intensity isn’t always reflected in food prices, it is reflected in green house gas emissions and health care costs.
A study from the Oxford Martin School has found that if people shifted to a mostly vegetarian diet, or at least cut down meat consumption, green house gas emission could be seriously decreased. By cutting down meat consumption significantly, the study estimated that the world could bring down emissions by 63%, over a two thirds reduction. The study also found that if the vegan diet was widely adopted, emissions could be reduced by 70%. Reducing the amount of meat consumed globally could be a major key in the fight against climate change.
As the Earth’s population continues to increase, food production and agriculture are likely to account for over half of our total green house gas emissions. Simply put, as there are more and more mouths to feed, food production of all kinds will require more resources, and in turn, produce more carbon emissions. Although governments have worked to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation, building, and energy generation, for the most part, food production has been left out, despite its key role in the future. Limiting the production and consumption of meat could be a potential option.
The researchers also concluded that a shift from meat intensive diets could alleviate the health care burden on nations around the world. Lead author Dr. Marco Springmann has said that, “Imbalanced diets, such as diets low in fruits and vegetables and high in red and processed meat, are responsible for the greatest health burden globally and in most regions.” Springmann also added that, “At the same time, the food system is responsible [currently] for more than a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore a major driver of climate change.”
Researchers estimated that the global transition to a vegetarian diet would avoid more than 7 million premature deaths per year. Not only would this transition help people live better and longer lives, but it would lighten the burden of healthcare costs around the globe. The study concluded that healthcare costs could be reduced by nearly $1 billion per year by mid-century.
Springmann believes that the benefits to both human and environmental health are far more powerful when tied together than when discussed individually. He has said that, “By combining the two benefits, you have a more powerful impact. I think this will make more of an impression.” He hopes that ultimately, this impression will lead to action on the part of lawmakers: “The size of the projected benefits should encourage individuals, industry and policymakers to act decisively to make sure that what we eat preserves our environment and health.”
Food for thought.
