A vegetarian diet is devoid of any meat, poultry, fish and other seafood, or allied food products from animal slaughter. There has been significant growth in the rise of vegetarianism across the globe. People turn to vegetarianism for a variety of reasons. Many religions around the world propagate vegetarianism. Some people switch to vegetarianism for health reasons and yet a few others do it for environmental reasons. A lot of people choose vegetarianism because they do not want to contribute to animal suffering.
When we talk about food choices and changing them, climate change isn’t something that comes to the mind instantly. And yet, if the world is committed to vegetarianism overnight, it would have a dramatic effect on the environment.
The world food industry contributes to about a third of the global greenhouse gas emission and most of it is because of the livestock industry. A computer model revealed that if by 2050, everybody embraced vegetarianism, the food-related anthropogenic emissions would fall by around a whopping 60%.
If not complete vegetarianism, even a reduction in consumption today has the potential to make things better for future generations.
Livestock farming and growing food to feed the livestock inevitably lead to land conversion and biodiversity loss. Many studies have concluded that the number of food grains required to feed the world cattle can feed about 8.7 billion people – even more than the entire Earth’s population. All these statistics lead us to believe that the numbers of world hunger will reduce if the world went ahead and committed to vegetarianism.
On a smaller scale and close to home, vegetarianism can add up to eight years to your life.
Studies suggest switching to a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the risk of cancer. Choosing fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains over meat also reduces the risk of developing heart diseases and boosts the digestive system considerably.
Having said that, even vegetarians can become unhealthy if they make poor lifestyle choices. Potato chips and French fries are after all vegan! When chosen correctly, a vegetarian diet can be the healthiest choice since plants and plant-based foods contain several nutrients.
While a transition to vegetarianism might bring several environmental and health benefits in developed countries, it can have an opposite effect in developing countries. People previously engaged in carnivorous careers would find themselves struggling for livelihood. Huge industries would suddenly shut down and millions would lose their jobs. Failure to provide them with alternate livelihoods can cause massive social upheavals.
Another factor is that many places around the world survive solely on meat and fish. There are arid drylands that cannot sustain agriculture, island countries that heavily depend upon the bounties of the sea, and severely cold places where meat is not a luxury but a necessity. For people living in such parts of the world, food is not just a choice but a way of life passed on by generations to generations. It is so deeply etched in their culture that stripping them off of meat would mean loss of cultural identity.
In a lot of cultures around the world religious gatherings, weddings and celebratory meals are heavy in meat-based dishes. Food heritages often have symbolic non-vegetarian dishes that are important for the people of certain regions and religions.
Even with the seemingly endless benefits that vegetarianism would bring to the world, such a paradigm shift would be extremely difficult for a lot of people around the world. We cannot even begin to fathom the cultural impact of a step as huge as this. It will have far-reaching effects on everyone, including people who already follow a vegetarian diet.
Cutting out meat from the diet leads to reduced emission of greenhouse gases. Meat production requires much more water than cultivating vegetables and grains. Water that is fast depleting and is one of the biggest concerns that the world faces right now.
Not to mention, it will also eliminate the merciless killing of millions of animals around the world every year. The meat production industries around the world are notoriously infamous for housing the animals in an unhygienic and inhumane manner. And vegetarianism promises to alleviate these issues.
Not an overnight shift, but a slow and steady reduction in the demand for meat will also go a long way in ensuring a better future for the planet and the up and coming generations of its inhabitants.
Salads are often labeled as boring and bland, but they don’t need to be. Well-made…
“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” A simple quote, but it has such…
Our hearts are the engines that keep our bodies running smoothly, pumping blood to nourish…
Several health experts across the globe speak highly of the benefits of lifestyle modification for…
Using golf for weight loss is an effective way to lose weight fast while having…
Finding the right doctor is a crucial step in maintaining your health and well-being. Whether…