Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but plant-based foods have a considerably lower impact. In 2018, one of the biggest ever food production studies revealed that going vegan was one of the most impactful choices a person could make for the benefit of the planet. 

The new study from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg was published in the journal PLOS Climate.

Researchers gave more than 250 participants nine hypothetical menu designs. All had the emissions impact of each option clearly labeled.

For some dishes, the label indicated a “high emission” option (i.e. a salad with beef) or a “low emission” option (i.e. a salad with falafel). There was also a third, “medium emission” choice for some (a salad with chicken, for example).

Encouraging sustainable food choices

The researchers suggested that adding climate labels to menus was one of the “easiest things” restaurant owners can do to encourage more sustainable food choices.

They stated: “If we want more climate-friendly restaurant visits, highlighting dish components on a menu can really be an important parameter because it communicates what is normal and recommended.”

Some restauranteurs have already added climate labels to menus. Lou Palmer-Masterton, who owns the small vegan restaurant chain Stem & Glory, started including carbon emission scores on menus last year.

For example, Stem & Glory’s Affogato dessert contains a shot of espresso and dairy-free vanilla ice cream. It features a “high” rating. But most of its options range from “very low” to “low” on the carbon intensity scale.

Palmer-Masterton told the BBC: “Even though all our products are plant-based, I was still curious about the impact they have on the environment. This movement is exploding right now, and it makes sense.”

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A petition that garnered more than 53,000 signatures was submitted to various higher-ups last week (May 5), reaching the leaders of America, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, and the UK. 

Animal protection organization Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), which distributed the petition, said the matter is one of increasing urgency.

“Our global leaders cannot continue to bury their heads in the sand,” said Sarah Moyes, senior campaigns manager at CIWF. “Livestock emissions play a significant role in the current climate emergency, yet this has been virtually overlooked by world leaders.”

Environmental impact of animal farming

Indeed, the 86 billion animals who are farmed for food every year are responsible for a significant portion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In fact, 14.5 percent of global emissions stem from animal agriculture – more than the world’s transportation sector (including planes, trains, cars, and other vehicles) combined.

But the industry’s environmental concerns don’t end with emission output. Approximately 20 to 33 percent of all fresh water in the world is used to farm animals, while more than 884 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.

Animal-based food production also requires extensive land clearing, resulting in surges of emissions and habitat loss. Livestock uses up nearly 80 percent of global agricultural land, despite providing less than 20 percent of the world’s calories.

Placing pressure on world leaders

“We must drastically reduce our total global meat and dairy consumption, so we’ve addressed our petition to leaders of top meat-consuming countries or regions,” Moyes continued.

“It’s critical these world leaders act to bring forward a meat and dairy reduction and support a shift to nature-friendly, higher welfare farming, as a matter of urgency.”

Moyes added: “Factory farming is significantly contributing to one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time and leaders of those countries where meat consumption is particularly high, must play their part to ensure we meet the Paris Agreement targets.”

“We must turn up the heat on world leaders to keep the global temperature down!”

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One pilot scheme, which will span across three European countries, is the result of a partnership between Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla and Royal DSM, a Dutch health, nutrition, and materials company.

DSM invented Bovaer, a food additive that, when fed to cows, suppresses the enzyme that triggers methane production.

An individual cow produces an estimated 220 pounds of methane every year. As of 2022, there are more than one billion grazing cows on the planet.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere at approximately 25 times the rate of carbon dioxide.

Adding ¼ of a teaspoon of Bovaer to a cow’s daily feed is thought to reduce the cow’s methane emissions by up to 30 percent. 

Modified feed to be tested on 10,000 cows

Bovaer – which has been extensively tested in 14 countries over the last decade – is the first feed additive to be approved by the EU. It will be added to the feed of 10,000 dairy cows on 50 farms across Denmark, Sweden, and Germany as part of Arla’s pilot scheme.

If preliminary results are in line with Arla’s expectations, the conglomerate will double the number of cows involved in the scheme to 20,000 in 2023.

Hanne Søndergaard, Arla’s head of agriculture and sustainability, said: “Climate change requires urgent action, and we believe that dairy is part of the solution.”

“This is a great example of innovative scientific solutions and actions we are taking to create a sustainable and resilient future for dairy and I am excited to see how far this will take us,” Søndergaard said.

Dairy vs plant milk

Arla claims that its farmers are “among the most climate efficient dairy producers in the world,” estimating that one kilogram of its raw milk produces 1.15kg of carbon dioxide.

In 2013, one liter of dairy milk (equivalent to around 1.03kg) had a carbon footprint of 3.15 kg, in comparison to almond milk at 0.7 kg per liter, rice milk at 1.18 kg per liter, oat milk at 0.9 kg per liter, and soy milk at 0.98 kg per liter.

Dairy milk production also requires much more land and water than plant-based milk alternatives. For instance, pastureland and crop production to feed livestock amounts to 77 percent of the planet’s farmed land.

In fact, reducing meat and dairy is proven to be one of the most effective ways that individuals can lessen their impact on the planet.

Methane masks for cows

Meanwhile, in the UK, a different type of methane-reducing technology is being piloted at a beef farm in Shropshire.

The Zero Emissions Livestock Project (ZELP) teamed up with ABP Food Group – the UK’s largest beef producer – to invent a face mask for cows that converts their methane emissions into carbon dioxide and water.

The device recently received Prince Charles’ royal seal of approval at Terra Carta Design Lab’s Sustainable Markets Initiative. There, the invention won the grand prize of £50,000 along with three pioneering concepts.

The other winners were Aerseeds (artificial seed pods made from food waste), AMPHITEX (a recyclable textile), and The Tyre Collective (a device which collects tire wear particles and microplastics).

ZELP estimates that 95 percent of methane emitted by cows is from their mouths and nostrils. The start-up’s website claims that the cow mask will “reduce emissions while improving animal welfare.”

However, animal protection charity PETA has slammed the company for the “inhumane” and “medieval-looking” creation.

Talking to MailOnline, PETA Director Elisa Allen said: “The Prince of Wales should be royally ashamed to give this medieval-looking device an award instead of condemning it with at least the force he reserves for modern architecture.

“The creators of this inhumane contraption claim it is ‘comfortable’, but that’s akin to calling meat, eggs, and dairy ‘gifts to the environment’ when they cause it inarguable harm.

“The last thing our society needs is to inflict more suffering on animals, when what is needed is a rapid retreat from cruel and environmentally damaging animal agriculture.”

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Reducing deforestation

Making mycoprotein uses far fewer resources than conventional meat production. It doesn’t need anywhere near as much land as animal agriculture, for example, which relies on cutting down forests to create more space for cattle herds. The beef industry, in particular, is a key driver of deforestation around the world, especially in the Amazon.

According to new research from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, partially replacing beef with mycoprotein could cut deforestation rates in half.

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The study, published in the journal Nature, concluded that replacing 20 percent of the world’s per-capita beef consumption with mycoprotein would not only significantly cut deforestation rates, but could also cause an 11 percent reduction in methane emissions.

Animal agriculture is the largest polluter of methane, a heat-trapping gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

‘People can continue eating burgers’

But reducing meat consumption doesn’t mean that consumers have to go without their favorite foods. Quorn offers a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian meat products. There are Hot & Spicy Burgers, Steak Bakes, Turkish Style Kebabs, Sausage Rolls, and more, all made from mycoprotein. 

Dr. Florian Humpenöder, who led the study, told the Guardian: “The food system is at the root of a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with ruminant meat production being the single largest source.”

“The good news is that people do not need to be afraid they can eat only greens in the future. They can continue eating burgers and the like, it’s just that those burger patties will be produced in a different way.”

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Researchers recommended a drop of at least 75 percent. They observed that Western countries, like the US and those in Europe, are putting an unnecessary strain on the planet through a high demand for meat.

In the EU, the average citizen consumes around 80 kilograms of meat per year. (For context, that’s about the same weight as an entire mountain lion.) But Dr. Matin Qaim, the study’s lead author, says this needs to drop to 20 kilograms or less.

This is because animal agriculture puts an enormous strain on the planet. 

The meat industry is a leading driver of deforestation, contributes 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and wastes significant amounts of resources. Just one steak, for example, requires more than 1,840 gallons of water, which is almost enough to fill 40 bathtubs.

The University of Bonn researchers were keen to stress that poorer countries are not the ones driving the meat industry’s environmental impact. Richer countries, though, need to take more responsibility.

“If all humans consumed as much meat as Europeans or North Americans, we would certainly miss the international climate targets and many ecosystems would collapse,” said Qaim. 

Is a meat tax the answer?

Studies do show that people are starting to reduce their meat intake. For example, a survey published last year suggested that nearly half of Europeans are actively eating less meat.

But more needs to be done to encourage a bigger change in eating habits.

Over the last few years, a number of experts have raised the idea of a meat tax to drive down meat consumption. And some research does suggest that the majority of consumers would be in favor; a 2021 study reported that 70 percent of Europeans would be open to the idea.

Qaim believes a tax would be “reasonable” and “fair.” 

He noted: “Meat has a high environmental cost that is not reflected in current prices,” before stressing that we all need to be “more sensitive to the global impact of our decisions.”

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And, on the way to their League One qualifying match (where they drew with Bristol Rovers), the team traveled in an electric van.

League One is part of the English Football League (EFL). The oldest competition of its kind in the world, it has three leagues: Championship, League One, and League Two. (The Premier League is above the EFL.)

Forest Green Rovers has been around for more than 130 years. But for most of that time, it’s been seen as a local village team. However, in the last five years, things have changed, and the environment-focused football club has been playing in League Two.

Environmentally friendly football team

Environmentalist and entrepreneur Dale Vince owns Forest Green Rovers. Back in the 1990s, he founded the green energy firm Ecotricity with one single windmill in Gloucestershire. Now, the company supplies around 200,000 homes across the country.

Earlier this month, Vince announced he would be stepping away from Ecotricity to focus on a political career. Regarding the UK’s shift to Net Zero, he told the BBC: “What we lack are politicians that get it and the policies that will help make it happen faster.”

Under Vince’s leadership, in 2018, Forest Green Rovers received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change award for climate action.

Vince said at the time: “Plenty of people doubted we could make this improbable combination of a football club and the environment work. But it’s proven to be a powerful combination.”

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Phasing out wet wipes everywhere

Boots is not alone. Tesco and Holland & Barrett have also banned plastic-based wet wipes. And action is being taken at a governmental level too.

Introduced last year by Labour MP Fleur Anderson, the Plastics (Wet Wipes) bill seeks to prohibit the manufacture and sale of all wet wipes containing plastics across the UK. The bill has started its journey in the House of Commons and will undergo its second reading next month.

During the first reading, Anderson said: “As a mother of four children, I completely understand the pressures that parents are under and the difficulties that can bring when trying to cut down on plastic and make the right choices for the environment.”

“I know that parents want to do the right thing and all I am saying is that we can make it easier on them and on everyone who relies on the use of wet wipes every day.”

The post UK’s Largest Pharmacy Chain To Replace All Plastic Wet Wipes With Plant-Based Alternatives appeared first on Plant Based News.

He told Food Navigator: “574 billion pieces of gum get chewed every single year and all of that is plastic. It’s the second most littered item on the planet after cigarette butts.

“Every single year, all of those pieces that are discarded, whether that’s irresponsibly or discarded in a bin, never biodegrade because it’s plastic.”

Getting plastic out of gum

Raviv isn’t alone in trying to transform the gum industry. Back in 2018, Iceland became the first UK supermarket chain to sell plastic-free gum, made by vegan brand Simply Gum.

At the same time, the chain commissioned a study to find out how many people were aware that there was plastic in gum. It found that 85 percent of Brits had no clue.

Sir Malcolm Walker, Iceland’s founder, said at the time: “I absolutely detest the mess that discarded plastic chewing gum creates on our streets and the fortune that is wasted by councils trying to clear it up.

“For decades, regular gum makers have hidden their synthetic ingredients behind the catch-all term of ‘gum base’ which is consistently used as an ingredient on pack.”

Raviv says he wants to make plastic-free chewing gum “the norm.”

While Milliways is currently only available in the UK, the founder said that global expansion plans are on the horizon. He stated: “The plastic-based gum issue is global and so are our ambitions.”

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Putting the climate emergency at ‘the heart of education’

The new qualification is part of the Department of Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. At last year’s COP26 event (the United Nations’ annual climate-focused conference), Zahawi revealed the new strategy, which aims to “put climate change at the heart of education.”

The strategy includes several new initiatives, including a new National Education Nature Park and a Climate Leaders Award. 

The former is a virtual database that aims to help children develop skills in biodiversity mapping and learn about wildlife species. The latter is an annual award that will see young people celebrated for their work supporting biodiversity and the environment in their local communities.

Regarding the new GCSE subject, Zahawi said in a statement: “Sustainability and climate change are the biggest challenges facing mankind. None of us can be in any doubt just how critical they have become.”

“The new natural history GCSE will offer young people a chance to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of this amazing planet, its environment, and how to conserve it.”

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The report, which is released every three years, highlights the various pressures of land usage, pollution, and climate breakdown on the environment. The report also quantifies how declining environmental health will go on to impact the wellbeing of the population in New Zealand. 

Urgent need to reduce the impact of industrial farming

“We call on the Government to halve New Zealand’s dairy herd from the 2019 peak of 6.3 million cows, to reduce the impacts of industrial dairying on freshwater, biodiversity, climate, and people’s health,” says Greenpeace.

In addition to polluting the rivers and climate, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and dairy cow urine are driving causes of nitrate contamination of drinking water. 

Most alarmingly, using nitrate-contaminated water for drinking or food preparation is linked to a range of negative health issues, such as blue baby syndrome. Some studies also suggest that there may be an association between nitrate contamination and an increased risk of colorectal cancer. 

Bolder and faster action required

Greenpeace senior campaigner Steve Abel recently said: “The dairy industry has been telling us they’re cleaning up their act, but the environmental data shows the biggest degradations in rivers, climate, soil, marine coastal areas and drinking water are being caused by industrial dairy and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.”

Now that the stats are in, Greenpeace is calling for the government to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, lower herd numbers, and support farmers in transitioning to more plant-based, lower impact farming for the good of the climate, rivers, and human health.

Those interested can view Greenpeace’s petition here.

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