How Our Food Choices Drive Land-Use Change and Environmental Loss?
Humanity's quest for food has been the largest driver of land-use change. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), croplands and pastures now occupy roughly half of the world's vegetated land. Between 1962 and 2010, nearly 500 million hectares of forests and woody savannas were cleared globally for agriculture, an area almost two-thirds the size of Australia.[1] In addition, approximately 50% of the world's wetlands have been drained for agricultural purposes.
Land-use change has long been recognized as a major contributor to climate change. However, the relationship is not one-way. While the clearing of forests releases large amounts of stored carbon and accelerates global warming, climate change itself is increasingly causing the loss and degradation of forests, natural ecosystems, and even agricultural lands. This creates a dangerous feedback loop in which environmental degradation and climate change reinforce one another.
Recognizing these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defined, and highlighted sustainable diets in 2010 as "those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations."[2]
The world's growing population, coupled with rising demand for animal-based foods, is placing increasing pressure on the global food system. A substantial body of evidence indicates that plant-based diets are generally more sustainable than meat-based diets, as they require fewer natural resources and often have lower environmental impacts.[3] As a result, many leading organizations, including the World Resources Institute, advocate shifting consumption patterns toward more plant-based foods as a key strategy for reducing pressure on land resources and avoiding further conversion of natural ecosystems.[4]
You are invited to be part of this shift.
References
[1] World Resources Institute (WRI). Manage the Global Land Squeeze: Produce, Protect, Reduce, Restore.
[2] FAO. Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity: Directions and Solutions for Policy, Research and Action. Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium, Rome, 3-5 November 2010.
[3] American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Evidence on the sustainability benefits of plant-based diets. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523048992
[4] World Resources Institute (WRI). Manage the Global Land Squeeze: Produce, Protect, Reduce, Restore.
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