10 reasons not to eat meat

Avoiding the consumption of food of animal origin is a powerful tool in the fight for a fairer, greener and more sustainable world.

1. Cattle warm the planet

Cows, pigs, sheep… produce more greenhouse gases than all means of transport combined. The meat business is one of the great responsible for climate change.

2. The carnivore diet produces more CO2

The consumption of red meat is responsible for 50% of the emissions of this greenhouse gas, but provides a scant 10% of the nutritional energy. Vegan and vegetarian diets emit almost half the CO2 of the most carnivorous diet.

3. Earth-shattering proteins

Compared to legumes, 18 times more land, 10 times more water, 9 times more fuel, 12 times more fertilizer, and 10 times more pesticides are needed to obtain one kilogram of animal protein.

4. Kill the trees

The livestock industry is responsible for much of the deforestation and loss of biodiversity, since the land dedicated to the production of fodder represents a third of the world’s agricultural land, according to the report “The long shadow of livestock”, from the Organization of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture (FAO).

5. Waste drinking water

Each kilo of beef needs 15,400 liters of water, according to the Water Footprint Network. On the other hand, a kilo of legumes needs between 4,000 and 5,000 liters.

6. It fouls the aquifers

It is also the largest contributor to water pollution thanks to the waste of the animals themselves, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals used in tanneries…

7. Leave more ecological footprint

With a very carnivorous diet, 3.3 tons of CO2 are emitted per person per year. A diet without red meat, but with poultry, drops to 1.9 tons. The vegetarian supposes 1.7 and the vegan 1.5.

8. Consume more natural resources

We would need a planet and a half to meet the current demand, and almost four planets if we all consumed and fed ourselves as in the United States. The ecological footprint has multiplied by 2.5 since the sixties.

9. A problem for the rich

Industrialized countries, more carnivorous, have a much higher ecological footprint. Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates occupy the first places, followed by Denmark and Belgium. The United States is placed in eighth place and Spain, in 40. In the tail: Palestine, Haiti, Pakistan or Eritrea.

10. The vegetable alternative

Vegan diets emit almost half the CO2 of carnivorous diets. By switching to a vegan diet and replacing meat and dairy products with seeds (cereals, legumes…), CO2 emissions are reduced by 40% compared to an average diet. Official US guidelines advise for the first time to reduce meat consumption for environmental and health reasons.