A new study
has found that approximately two-thirds of the global population faces severe
water scarcity for at least one month each year. This totals 4 billion people
without a reliable source of fresh water.
In addition to climate change and our growing population,
our meat-heavy diets play a significant role in water shortages.
Direct water consumption by animals used to produce meat and
watering crops used to feed them makes animal agriculture an incredibly thirsty
industry.
“About one-third of the world water consumption is for
producing animal products. Their water footprint is larger than that of crop
products with equivalent nutritional value, states Arjen Hoekstra, a lead
researcher, in an article by TakePart.com.
The meat industry doesn’t just suck up a shocking amount of
water; it also consumes an incredible amount of grain.
In a world in which 842
million people don’t have enough to eat, a move away from meat would do
more than save water; it would potentially feed millions of people by freeing
up the millions of acres of land currently used to grow animal feed to grow
vegetables for human consumption instead.
To make matters worse, the meat industry is also one of the leading causes of climate
change, making its role in water scarcity even greater.
By adopting a healthy and sustainable plant-based diet, we
can help not only the millions of people without enough food and water, but
also the billions of animals abused and killed each year for food.
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