A vegan diet is the best way to fight the carbon footprint, according to a study



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According to a new study, following a vegan diet is the "best way" to reduce your carbon footprint.

Researchers at Oxford University discovered that cutting meat and dairy products in food could reduce the impact of food on the environment by 73%.

In the meantime, if everyone stopped eating processed meat, global farmland could be reduced by about 75% – the size of the United States, China, Australia and the United States. EU united.

The new study, published in the journal Science, is one of the most comprehensive research conducted on the impact of diet on the environment. It included data from nearly 40,000 farms in 119 countries.

The new study says that a vegan diet can reduce your carbon footprint by 73%. Credit: PA
The new study says that a vegan diet can reduce your carbon footprint by 73%. Credit: PA

According to the report, the meat and dairy industries are responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. He also claimed that they provided 18% of the world's calories and 37% of protein levels.

Lead author of the study, lead author Joseph Poore, said: "A vegan diet is probably the most effective way to reduce your impact on the planet Earth, not just the gases to greenhouse effect, but also global acidification and eutrophication. [when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, inducing excessive algae growth], land use and use of water.

"It's more important than reducing your flights or buying an electric car," he said, adding that this would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Avoiding the consumption of animal products provides much better environmental benefits than trying to buy sustainable meat and dairy products."

The researchers also examined a total of 40 agricultural products, which account for 90% of all food consumed.

Could you eat this? Credit: PA
Could you eat this? Credit: PA

But in addition to the foods eaten, he also badyzed the effects of farming methods on the planet. For example, cattle raised on natural pastures use 50 times less land than those on deforested land, which can result in 12 times higher greenhouse gas emissions.

The Poore study is the result of five years of work and he hopes his findings will have an impact on how people consume their food but do not hold his breath.

Addressing The Independent, he said: "The problem is that you can not just affix environmental labels on a handful of food and look to see if there is has an effect on purchases.

"Consumers take the time to become aware of certain things, then even more to take action, and the labels probably have to be combined with taxes and subsidies." My opinion is that the communication of information to consumers could make leaning the entire food system towards sustainability "and responsibility. "

Featured Image Credit: PA

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