How Sustainable Is Meat?
LIVE WELL
How Sustainable Is Meat?
BY: Tanya Flink
Grass-fed. Local. Organic. Humane. These are common terms used to justify consumers’ decisions to purchase meat. Marketers use these words to establish trust—to convince the consumer that meat is a sustainable protein option. But when meat production involves growing enough food to sustain a 1,800-pound cow, or 125,000 chickens, plus the land needed to house these growing animals, in addition to basic water needs, the entire concept of raising animals for food seems to be in direct opposition to sustainability. That’s one of the reasons we built Abbot’s Butcher—to provide a hearty, delicious protein option that was kinder to the planet. Compared to plant-based food production, the animal agriculture industry is an environmentally taxing practice, and here’s why.
Meat and Natural Resources
In 2019, researchers at Oxford found that eliminating one’s meat and dairy consumption was the “single biggest way” to reduce an individual’s environmental impact. Researcher John Poore continued, “Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.”
Reducing one’s consumption of meat and other animal products not only has an impact on greenhouse gases, but also land and water use, acidification, and air, soil, and water quality. On a global scale, animal agriculture is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at Stanford believe that phasing out animal agriculture over the next 15 years would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 70 percent through 2100. In regards to land, animal agriculture accounts for 83 percent of the world’s farmland. That not only includes the space needed to house the animals, but the farmland needed to grow the vast amount of food needed to feed these animals. Undoubtedly, that land could be more efficiently used to produce foods for humans (or returned to its natural state), negating the need to grow food to make food, in the case of meat.
Water is another precious resource that is forever strained by the animal agriculture industry. The global industry uses over 20 percent of the world’s fresh water, and much of that goes into the crops needed to sustain the animals. For example, in the US, 60 percent of fresh water is used for growing crops meant for animal consumption. To break it down on an individual level, it takes over 1,800 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef. A pound of pork requires 717 gallons, and a pound of chicken clocks in at 518 gallons. Comparatively, only 39 gallons of water are needed to produce most vegetables.
In addition to demanding so much water, raising animals for food also presents a major pollution risk. Agricultural runoff—when feces and other animal excrement seeps into the soil and waterways—is a common occurrence. Large-scale farming operations collect animals’ excrement in vast manure lagoons, some as big as football fields, and a certain amount of leakage is even permissible by the USDA. It’s simply impossible to contain that amount of manure. For a bit of perspective, in 2012, large-scale farming operations in the US were responsible for 369 million tons of manure, about 13 times the waste produced by the country’s human residents. Simply looking at the pollution side of things, plants are the better way to go in terms of sustainable eating.
The Abbot’s Butcher Difference
Our Ground “Beef”, “Chorizo”, and Chopped Chick’n take the animals out of the protein equation. We believe we can still craft the same delicious flavors and tender, hearty bite of meat without putting an enormous strain on our planet. We use pea protein, vegetables, spices, herbs, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil to produce all of our plant-based meats, and those simple ingredients allow us to drastically reduce the amount of natural resources required and significantly cut back on our greenhouse gas emissions. All of our premium plant-based meats produce between 83-90 percent fewer emissions than pork, beef, and chicken farming. As for water, our products use 75-89 percent less water than animal agriculture practices. When you swap in our “Chorizo” in a taco or use our Chopped Chick’n in a salad, you’re not only choosing something that tastes good, you’re reducing your personal impact on the planet. When it comes to the longevity of our world, we’re all responsible. Every meal counts, and we’re working to make the sustainable choice the most convenient and satisfying choice.
For more information on our commitment to sustainability, visit Our Impact page.