Our lives can feel very separate from wildlife. Most of us do not live in close proximity to many animals outside the sphere of human control (e.g. companion animals, animals raised for food, animals in captivity). Perhaps a few local species are around – deer, coyote, various types of birds – but even in animal-rich environments, you’re only seeing a small sliver of the full spectrum of planetary species.
But while we might not see them regularly, or even be on the same continent as them, our behaviors significantly impact a huge swath of the animal kingdom. And not in a good way.
From pollution to plastics, our actions are not isolated to just us. They have wide-reaching implications and are compounded by the choices of every other person on the planet. You probably already do your best to recycle as much as possible, have a reusable water bottle, and avoid gas-guzzling vehicles, but have you considered what you’re putting on your plate?
Our food choices are tied to a number of different factors that impact wildlife – from habitat destruction to intentional killing. When we choose plant-based foods, we reduce these impacts, resulting in less harm to wildlife.
A Plant-Based Diet Leads to Less Habitat Destruction
The alarming rate at which animal and plant species are facing extinction globally — 135 every day — deserves serious attention [1]. One key factor in these rapidly declining numbers is the loss of habitat, and a key driver of this loss is the clearing of wild lands to create pastures and space to grow feed crops for increasing numbers of animals being raised for food [2].
The European Commission has estimated that agriculture is responsible for up to 80% of deforestation globally2. Nearly all of this deforestation takes place in the tropics, where beef production accounts for 41% of deforestation and palm oil and soybeans account for another 18% (most soy is used as feed for livestock or biofuels; just 6% is used for direct human consumption) [3]. This has severe consequences for countless wildlife species, particularly when this destruction is taking place in incredibly diverse areas, like the Amazon rainforest [4].
By eliminating animals from the food system, not only would we not need the land on which the animals are actually raised, but we would also need less land to grow crops. Our current system requires us to grow a large amount of food to feed animals who are then used to produce a small amount of food (i.e. imagine the number of calories that a cow consumes over the course of several years compared to the number of calories produced in meat for human consumption).
According to a report from the University of Oxford, this multiplier is significant. Common plant-based proteins, like beans and lentils, for example, require 20 times less land per unit of edible protein compared to beef [5]. By choosing foods that require less land to produce, we reduce the pressure to clear wildlife habitat and can continue to feed our growing population with the agricultural land already in use.
A Plant-Based Diet Lets Ocean Life Recover
Commercial fishing and the mass-extraction techniques used by the industry pose significant threats to ocean ecosystems. Globally, many fish populations are in alarming decline due to overfishing, unable to reproduce fast enough to keep up with this never-ending assault. These decreasing numbers have a cascading effect on marine food webs, posing a significant threat to marine biodiversity and the stability of ocean ecosystems [6,7].
Most consumers have no idea how mind-bogglingly enormous the fishing industry is today. It’s almost unimaginable. Lines up to 50 miles long with thousands of baited hooks and walls of netting seven miles across kill trillions of animals each year. Purse seine nets, used primarily to catch tuna, are effectively giant drop nets, thrown over a school of fish before the ends are cinched together, completely enclosing any and all animals within it. Bottom trawlers, enormous bag-shaped nets that are pulled across the ocean floor, destroying coral reefs and capturing every living thing in its path, are the underwater equivalent of clear-cutting a forest.
In addition to the impacts of overfishing, the commercial fishing industry is also devastating wildlife injured or killed as bycatch. The term “bycatch” refers to non-targeted species who end up caught in nets or on fishing lines. Approximately 38 million metric tons of bycatch are killed each year [8]. With nets and lines of the scale described above, there’s no way to avoid these deaths, which regularly include dolphins, sharks, turtles, and non-targeted fish species. This collateral damage further disrupts marine food chains and jeopardizes numerous species, many of whom are already endangered [9].
And if all of that wasn’t already enough, damaged or tangled nets and hooked lines are often left at sea, or are lost in bad weather. Known as “ghost gear,” they continue to kill animals who get tangled in them for years after they are abandoned. As this plastic-based gear breaks down into microplastics, it causes even more problems for animals who ingest it, and anyone who then ingests them [10].
Choosing a vegan diet supports the recovery of ocean life by reducing the demand for seafood. Plant-based alternatives provide a sustainable and compassionate alternative, allowing marine ecosystems to heal.
A Plant-Based Diet Reduces Attacks on Wildlife
Animal agriculture directly results in the mass killing of wildlife species. In the US, Wildlife Services, a program of the US Department of Agriculture, kills millions of wild animals every year – including wolves, foxes and bears – using brutal methods, like exploding poison caps, inhumane traps, and gunning them down from airplanes and helicopters [11]. This program uses taxpayer dollars to kill these animals on public lands, with minimal oversight or public transparency, to make room for the meat industry to move in.
And this killing isn’t limited to just the US, or just to federal officers. Around the world, predator animals, like lions and cheetahs, are killed because of the threat they pose – or are perceived to pose – to farmed animals. The people raising animals for food often take it upon themselves to kill local wildlife, either in response to an attack or as a preemptive measure. Removing predators, of course, has a ripple impact on the whole ecosystem, throwing everything out of balance.
But it’s not just the predators who lose out to animal agriculture. Herbivores, like bison and antelope, are killed en masse to reduce competition for grazing areas. Animals like beavers and prairie dogs are targeted because they disrupt the homogenous landscapes livestock managers want. Even wild horses can’t escape the reach of animal ag, and are killed to “make room” on public land for privately owned farmed animals.
Adopting a vegan diet sends a clear message that such cruel practices have no place in our society. Veganism promotes coexistence with wildlife and encourages ecological harmony.
A Plant-Based Diet Decreases Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Climate change poses a direct threat to wildlife, impacting entire ecosystems, changing both air and water temperatures, and shifting animal migration patterns. These changes are closely linked to greenhouse gas emission levels, and according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the livestock sector is a significant contributor to emissions. Raising and killing animals for food produces approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the entire transportation sector [12].
Shifting to a plant-based diet can be a powerful tool in reducing these emissions. Because animal-based foods produce approximately twice as many emissions as plant-based foods, making the shift away from these meat, dairy, and eggs can decrease an individual's carbon footprint by up to 50% [13]. A 2018 study from the University of Oxford identified going vegan as the “single biggest way” we can reduce our carbon footprint [14].
A Plant-Based Diet Uses Less Water
Agriculture consumes more water than any other major global industry, accounting for 70% of global water use [15], and animal-based foods have a much larger water footprint compared to plant-based foods [16].
Animal agriculture requires substantial water resources, not only for direct consumption by the animals, but also for things like cleaning and crop irrigation for animal feed. For example, producing a pound of beef can take more than 1,800 gallons of water, while a pound of rice requires only about 500 gallons [17].
This high water demand puts stress on freshwater ecosystems and can lead to periods of drought and water shortage. If we don’t change our water consumption habits and reduce our water footprint, the UN estimates that 700 million people could face "intense water scarcity" by 2030—less than a decade from now [18]. Wildlife in those regions will face a similar fate.
A Plant-Based Diet Expands Our Circle of Compassion
The positive impact of a vegan diet extends beyond dietary choices, promoting values of compassion, empathy, and respect for all living beings. Scientific research in psychology demonstrates that practicing empathy towards animals can lead to increased empathy and prosocial behavior towards humans [19]. This "expanding circle of compassion" has the potential to foster a more compassionate and harmonious society.
By embracing a vegan lifestyle, individuals become part of a global community dedicated to creating a kinder world for all creatures. Their dietary choices reflect a commitment to the welfare of both domesticated and wild animals, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the well-being of all living individuals.
Each one of us has the power to positively impact wildlife through our daily choices. Eating a plant-based diet reduces direct harm, contributes to flourishing ecosystems, and champions a cleaner and more sustainable future for everyone.
If you’d like to give plant-based eating a try, even for one meal a day, check out these resources to help you make the switch:
References:
1. Ceballos, G., et al. (2015). Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Science Advances, 1(5), e1400253.
2. European Commission. (2020). Deforestation and forest degradation – reducing the impact of products placed on the EU market.
3. University of Oxford, Our World in Data. (2021). Cutting down forests: what are the drivers of deforestation?
4. Nepstad, D. C., et al. (2014). Slowing Amazon deforestation through public policy and interventions in beef and soy supply chains. Science, 344(6188), 1118-1123.
5. University of Oxford, Our World in Data. (2021). Environmental impacts of food: production.
6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2006). Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options.
7. Worm, B., et al. (2006). Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services. Nature, 314(5800), 787-790.
8. Gilman, E., et al. (2011). Bycatch in the world's fisheries: A review of the status and mitigation measures. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 521.
9. Melnychuk, M. C., et al. (2007). Supply and demand drive a critical transition to dysfunctional fisheries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(46), 18295-18300.
10. Fishing4Ghosts. Ghost Gear and Microplastics. Accessed 17 Oct 2023.
11. Center for Biological Diversity. Targeting Wildlife Services. Accessed 17 Oct 2023.
12. United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2019). Climate Change and Land.
13. Shepon, A., et al. (2016). The opportunity cost of animal-based diets exceeds all food losses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(48), 13574-13579.
14. Independent. (24 Sept 2020). Veganism is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce our environmental impact, study finds. Accessed 17 Oct 2023.
15. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture. Accessed 17 Oct 2023.
16. Mekonnen, M. M., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2012). A global assessment of the water footprint of farm animal products. Ecosystems, 15(3), 401-415.
17. Pimentel, D., et al. (2004). Water Resources: Agricultural and Environmental Issues. BioScience, 54(10), 909-918.
18. United Nations Development Program (UNDP). https://www.undp.org/water. Accessed 17 Oct 2023.
19. Ascione, F. R., & Arkow, P. (1999). Child abuse, domestic violence, and animal abuse: Linking the circles of compassion for prevention and intervention. Purdue University Press.
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