"There are more than six billion people who share our planet. Ultimately it is us who have the power in the marketplace to determine which foods will be produced and sold, and to what extent the industrial model of agriculture will be replaced. It is clear that the adoption of the Western diet as a worldwide standard will ensure a planet with more disease, and increasingly severe environmental problems. Conversely, we know that plant-based protein is readily available, and it is less costly, both in terms of direct costs, and in terms of the ‘external’ costs that we are already paying (eg for subsidies, environmental cleanup and to treat disease).""The meat, fish and dairy industries directly contribute to all the major environmental catastrophes facing our planet. The number of farmed animals in the world has quadrupled in the last 50 years, and this puts an incredible strain on the environment. Food production no longer nurtures the land; instead both animals and soil are pushed to their limits and beyond in an effort to satisfy the voracious appetite of the Western world. It is an appetite for both food and profit."
"the US a typical cow will consume about two tons of grain while it is at a feedlot, just to gain 400 pounds in weight."
"If the 670 million tons of the world’s grain used for feed were reduced by just 10 per cent, this would free up enough grain to sustain 225 million people or keep up with world population growth for the next three years. If each American reduced his or her meat consumption by only 5 per cent, roughly equivalent to eating one less dish of meat each week, 7.5 million tons of grain would be saved; this is enough to feed 25 million people."
"Forests are cleared, ponds are dried, hedgerows ripped up, precious water supplies are wasted in order to provide food and grazing for cattle. This is proven to be an inefficient use of land. Ten hectares of land will provide enough meat to feed only two people compared to providing enough maize for 10 people, grain for 24 people or soya for 61 people."
(for full article, including information on how the typical western diet increases environmental destruction through water eutrophication, bio-accumulation and nitrogen pollution, please visit: http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/planetonaplate.htm )
