Article describing the environmental impact of meat consumption, including specific measures.

The resources necessary to produce meat-based versus vegetable-based food are disproportionate, and eating lower on the food ladder requires fewer resources. Generally, 9 calories of resources are required to produce 1 calorie of food. For example, to produce one pound of wheat, 25 gallons of water, sun, and less than an acre of land are required. To produce one pound of beef, 16 pounds of wheat and soy, and 2500 gallons of water are required.

The USDA estimates that per capita consumption of meat is 260 pounds per year. Harvard nutritionist Jean Mayer estimates that reducing meat consumption by 10% per year in the US would free up enough grain to feed 60 million people.

Some other identified environmental costs associated with meat consumption:

• Environmental depletion from ranches has caused the loss of some plant and animal species in Central and South America in addition to accounting for 25% of atmospheric carbon release.
• Since 1961, the global farmed animal population has increased by 60%.
• According to the EPA, US factory farms generated 1.6 billion tons of animal waste in 1996.
• More than one third of raw materials and fossil fuels are used in animal production.
• Beef production uses more water than all water used in national fruit and vegetable production.