As we saw from the kang kong, it produces the least CO2, as it doesn't have to travel as far. There are many other advantages such as:
- It provides a local income for farmers
- It is healthier for you as there are no chemicals added to the food to make it last longer
- Usually has less packaging as it doesn't need to be transported as far.
- It is generally a better quality for the quality of the food with less artificial coloring and chemicals added to preserve the food.
Red meat generally comes from cows, and cows release methane, which is bad for the environment. Cows are a natural source of methane gas. Methane can also be released through human activities such as mining for coal. It is a colorless gas which can effectively trap heat. When it gets released into the atmosphere, the heat from the sun cannot escape, as it is trapped by the methane, which is known as the greenhouse effect. By eating less red meat, we won't need as many cows, which pollute the air with methane.
Fruits and vegetables are more energy efficient. Cows require a lot of space to graze, causing less energy per acre to be produced. This process starts when the cow eats grass (which contains a lot of energy). However, there is an energy loss when the cow consumes the grass. When we eat meat, more energy is wasted. By eating more vegetables, there is less energy loss between the stages, therefore, producing vegetables are more energy efficient to produce compared to animals. Also, to produce 3 calories worth of beef, it takes 100 calories worth of grains. 70% of the grains grown in the USA are used to feed animals. If we cut down on the number of animals we ate yearly, there would be more grains and other crops for us to eat, meaning we could cut down on the amount of space we need to use to grow food. By growing more vegetable than meat, we can use more land for buildings. Studies have shown that if you go vegetarian, you could cut your CO2 emissions in half!
By eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, it means that food from other countries will not have to be imported for you to eat. This also means that the food you eat will be fresher which will improve your health. Especially since they will not have to add any chemicals to the fruit to make it last longer. This will also mean that the fruit we eat will not be transported by plane, which is worse for the environment (as shown in the Advantages & Disadvantages of Eating Imported Food).
This video shows some of the impacts our food has on our water footprint.
Here are some other key points you should think about:
Here are some other key points you should think about:
- Only 2% of the water on the world is clean water. We are constantly polluting the world around us. This water is needed to water our crops, to drink, to wash in and to feed our animals with. Much of this water is hidden away in rivers, lakes and underwater sources. Only about 0.007% of this water is directly accessible to the 7.2 million people on the planet.
- It is predicted that by the end of 2025, there will be about 1.8 billion people living in places where they don't have access to clean water.
- When you eat meat, you increase your water footprint. If an average swimming pool has 22,500 gallons of water, this would be enough to produce 12 pounds of beef.
- Not only does meat require a lot of water to be produced. California produces about 50% of all nuts, fruits and vegetables in the USA. They also have to use about 80% of the state's developed water to produce all these crops. One head of broccoli takes about 5.2 litters of water to be produced.
- A lot of water is also needed for farming especially in deserts such as the Sahara desert. They already import 40% and 60% of the imported food is wheat. This is because they have trouble producing their own food due to the harsh conditions of the desert that surrounds them.