Why Plant-Based Food Transition Matters

Industrial animal agriculture causes a significant diversion of productive cropland to feed animals at an inefficient 10–15% caloric conversion rate ([Rockström et al., 2023]), resulting in a substantial loss of land that could be used to produce food for human consumption. This diversion has severe implications for Food Security, as it means that the same amount of land planted with crops could feed 5–10 times more people ([Rockström et al., 2023]). A plant-based transition would simultaneously free up this land for rewilding and restore its capacity for resilience, achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and land use ([Carey et al., 2023], [Carey et al., 2023]). By shifting away from omnivorous diets towards plant-based patterns, we can reduce the opportunity food loss of 96% associated with animal agriculture ([Shepon et al., 2018]), allowing more people to access nutritious food. This transition would also result in substantial reductions in acidification and eutrophication, such as a decrease of ~10.4 billion metric tons of CO eq per year ([Poore et al., 2018]).

Industrial animal agriculture causes significant climate instability through methane emissions from livestock ([Rockström et al., 2023]), nitrous oxide emissions from feed-crop fertilization ([Rockström et al., 2023]), and large-scale land clearing for grazing and soy ([Poore et al., 2018]). If this continues, the consequences will be devastating, with global temperatures projected to rise by 0.526°C ([Rockström et al., 2023]) and potentially catastrophic feedback loops triggered. In contrast, transitioning towards plant-based food systems can achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including a decrease of 7% in acidification and eutrophication ([Poore et al., 2018]), equivalent to a reduction of ~10.4 billion metric tons of CO2-equivalent per year. Furthermore, studies have shown that adopting plant-based dietary patterns can lead to significant decreases in GHG emissions and land use, with all models showing a decrease in these metrics as we move away from omnivorous towards plant-based diets ([Carey et al., 2023]).

Industrial animal agriculture causes inequitable food systems by converting land that could grow affordable food directly for people into feed for animals, concentrating agricultural land and driving up food costs ([Carey et al., 2023]). This concentration of land and resources disproportionately affects lower-income communities, exacerbating existing health disparities and limiting access to nutritious food. A transition towards plant-based food systems can mitigate these harms, achieving a 100% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and land use as we move from omnivorous to plant-based dietary patterns ([Carey et al., 2023]). By adopting rooftop farming and regenerative agriculture practices, we can reduce carbon emissions, enhance air quality, and meet the growing global food demand while ending world hunger ([Rockström et al., 2023], [Rockström et al., 2023]). This shift towards plant-based systems can also achieve significant reductions in acidification and eutrophication, with a 7% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions per year ([Poore et al., 2018]), ultimately promoting more equitable access to healthy and sustainable food for all.

Industrial animal agriculture causes biodiversity collapse through deforestation for soy feed crops and cattle ranching, resulting in the conversion of 55% of land to croplands, pastures, and rangelands ([Rockström et al., 2023]), leaving only 45% for natural ecosystems. This loss of biodiversity is a direct consequence of agricultural expansion, which is dominated by feed crops such as soy, maize, and pasture ([Poore et al., 2018]). If left unchecked, this trend will continue to threaten ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and acidification reductions, with plant-based diets offering a critical opportunity for mitigation, achieving 7% of previous CO2-equivalent emissions reductions through regrowing vegetation ([Poore et al., 2018]) and a decrease in GHG emissions and land use as we move towards plant-based dietary patterns ([Carey et al., 2023]). A transition to plant-based food systems can also facilitate rewilding efforts by freeing land previously dedicated to animal agriculture, restoring habitats and recovering species richness ([Rockström et al., 2023], [Rockström et al., 2023]), ultimately reinforcing biodiversity recovery and food security through a synergistic relationship between the two.