Some people think going vegan will save the planet. Is this true?
Climate change is the most pressing problem facing Earth’s inhabitants and we need to get serious about addressing it. There are lots of things we can do as individuals – cycle more, drive less, waste less food, compost our scraps and plant more trees. Another effective thing we can do is reduce our consumption of industrially farmed meat, as the way it’s raised uses a lot of resources and creates a lot of waste.
Around the world, a large part of all the food grown is grown to feed animals, and when you look at the equation, eating meat that’s raised this way just doesn’t stack up. We have to compete with livestock for much of the world’s grain, land and water and according to Anthropocene Magazine, livestock consume a massive one third of global crop production. If we continue to divert edible crops away from people, we’ll need to increase crop production, and this will lead to further loss of biodiversity and environmental damage.
For some people, the only option they see is moving to a vegan diet. This means avoiding anything that has come from an animal, including all dairy, eggs, honey and, of course, meat, poultry and fish. For many people, it also includes avoiding leather, sheepskin, wool and down for clothing and homewares. Some people come to this way of eating because of their concerns about animal cruelty, but an increasing number are removing animal products from their life as a way to address climate change. Is it really the right thing to do?
I acknowledge the good intentions but, as is so often the case with any philosophy based on moral absolutism, is it practical or even possible? The question of whether a truly vegan – that is in every sense animal free – farming system could even possibly exist is yet another question. What about worms and insects in the soil, what about the bees that pollinate the plants?
We have been eating animals for most of our evolution and since the dawn of agriculture we have been using animals. Indeed, the most successful agricultural systems have been so because they included animals. The problem with industrial agriculture, the most common system in global food production, is that it isn’t modelled on nature. Instead, it creates concentrations of crops and stock in conditions that may not be suitable, stretching water resources and creating problems with waste.
The intent of this specialisation and segregation of stock and crops is to increase efficiency and create an economy of scale, but this comes at a price. The food we eat and the way it is produced has a huge impact on both us and the planet, and the devastating effects of this are now too urgent to ignore.
I certainly agree that the way animals are farmed in the current industrial system is neither sustainable or compassionate, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater – there’s another option, and it can improve your health and the health of the planet. So, before you give up your bacon and eggs, I want you to consider the advantages of permaculture. A way that animals can help create
a circular system of food production that’s good for both people and the planet. Visit my blog www.breadpolitics.com to find out how the 12 principles of permaculture create a system that produces no waste where animals play a vital role in cleaning up leftovers and byproducts from mixed farming. A great local example is Kelmarna Gardens. (ISABEL PASCH)
To read more about other urban farming initiatives in New Zealand and around the world visit www.breadpolitics.com
Isabel Pasch is the owner of Bread & Butter Bakery & Cafe and the author of the breadpolitics.com/blog.