In August, large-scale beef producers met for the Global
Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, in an attempt to find solutions to meeting the
global demand for beef with a growing population and dwindling resources.
A recent article on MUNCHIES
explains, “As a result of the conference, the group of shareholders released a
lengthy document, its “Principles
and Criteria, which outlines a set of goals for the global beef
industry that, when followed, will supposedly address the social,
environmental, and economic consequences of raising about 63 million
tons of beef per year.
The document, Principles
and Criteria for Global Sustainable Beef, has been criticized by the
environmental community, which claims that the guidelines are “toothless, and
many believe it is an attempt to deceive consumers into believing that
substantial changes have occurred.
According to Gidon Eshel, professor of environmental science
at Bard College, “The only sustainable beef is beef that was
never produced or consumed. Beef and sustainability are about as compatible as
war and goodness.
Consider this:
– It takes 576 gallons of water to produce one pound of
pork, 880 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk, and a whopping 1,799
gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.
– The
World Bank reports that the majority of Amazon deforestation has been to
clear land for cattle grazing and growing feed for farmed animals.
– Raising animals for food creates more greenhouse gas
emissions than all the transportation in the world combined.
And earlier this year, a study published in the journal Climatic Change found that
vegetarians contributed significantly less to climate change than their
meat-eating peers, and vegans had an even smaller environmental
footprint.
Clearly, the best thing we can do for the planet is to leave
meat off our plates altogether. For more information on adopting a sustainable
vegetarian diet, check out ChooseVeg.com.