This largely theoretical examination of the global impact that would occur if meat were eliminated from the human diet looks at the potential economic and environmental benefits of such a scenario.

In 2008, the world consumed 280 million tons of meat, 700 million tones of milk, and 1.2 billion eggs, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The environmental impact of this consumption is enormous:

• Farmed animals consume about one-third of the world’s grain crop. A vegan diet would reduce the amount of land used for crops by 21%, an area the size of India.
• Farmed animals also account for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalents.

However, there are costs to eliminating the farming of animals from society. For example, there would be a reduction in animal by-products which include 11 million tons of leather and 2 million tons of wool that come from farmed animal would be eliminated each year.

Furthermore, a vegetarian-only diet would still require milk, but the production of dairy products still results in reproduction of male cows, which has an environmental impact. In examining the production of meat at the lowest environmental costs, the author notes that pasture grazing cows grow more slowly than feedlot raised cows, and consequently produce more methane. Currently, about half of global meat production comes from intensive farmed animal operations.

Worldwide, per capita consumption of meat has been on the rise. Between 1980 and 2002, this figure has doubled to 28 kg per year in developing countries, and it’s expected to rise to 37 kg by the year 2030. In the west, per capita meat consumption rose by more than 8% during this same time period. The United Nations estimates that by the year 2050, worldwide production of meat will need to double. An increase of this magnitude will likely have “environmentally disastrous” effects.