The idea of changing our usual rituals for the sake of sustainability can seem daunting, even if it’s for the good of our planet.
However, our food industries contribute to environmental harms by utilizing resources like land and water, as well as increasing emission rates that contribute to climate change. The meat industry, specifically, contributes highly to environmental changes. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 16% of agricultural land is used to grow food for humans, compared to the two-thirds of land dedicated to growing livestock feed.
“The new dietary guidelines that just came out also recommend increasing your overall protein intake and they really prioritize animal based protein sources, but the interesting thing to note is that most of our population is already getting enough protein,” nutrition professor Michele Hockett Cooper said.
While seemingly unrelated, nutrition and environmental health are intertwined in many ways. What harms our environment in agricultural and livestock practices also harms our long-term health, and though we may enjoy eating meat, there are both environmental and nutritional reasons to consciously reduce the amount we consume. For instance, a high demand for meat gives way to overproduction, which places a heavier burden on our environment.
“When we think about planetary health … the fact that a lot of what we are producing in the U.S., but as a planet, is in the name of increasing the amount of ultra-processed foods that we can get on shelves and the amount of animal protein that we can get on shelves … all of that (contributes to) these really degrading farming practices … that is just really damaging the planet while producing food that’s also damaging our health,” Cooper said.
Additionally, the food production processes that go into supplying the meat that is available at the grocery store often get overlooked.
“To establish a farm, it requires a lot of land … and this also requires clearing land, not only shrubs and stuff, but it has also influenced the deforestation … a tree can take 100 years to grow, but it takes a few minutes with the current technology to put it down … that comes with a lot of other biological or ecosystem interconnectivity,” said Immaculate Odd Irumba, doctoral student in the department of geography and the environment.
While changing our diets can feel inconvenient, and meat is marketed as a prime source of protein, we don’t need to cut out meat entirely to make a difference. Even reducing the amount of meat we eat from every day to three days a week can lessen our individual impacts on the environment. We can prioritize both our personal and environmental health through implementing more vegetarian elements into our diets. Consuming meat mindfully can promote more sustainable practices.
“If we’re thinking about how we can make sustainable changes, I think moderation is really the key,” Cooper said. “Have a burger or a steak but have it fewer days in the week than you would regularly, and then on the other days, have your high quality, plant based protein … It doesn’t have to be all or nothing … We can have these things in moderation and really do a better job of supporting population-level dietary health while also maintaining our planetary resources.”
Climate instability affects everyone — making it everyone’s responsibility to ensure we preserve and protect our environment. Being able to do that in a way that also benefits our personal health is just the cherry on top.
Thomas is a government freshman from Frisco, Texas.
