Replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives will lead to lesser use of land and water, and lower greenhouse gas emission conserving the bio-diversity and mitigating climate change.
One quarter of the world's tropical land could disappear by the end of the century unless meat and dairy consumption falls, researchers have warned.
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‘Reducing meat and milk consumption and switching to staples such as grains and pulses, will lead to a more sustainable future while addressing global food inequalities and climate change.’
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If the global demand for animal products continues to grow, large swathes of natural land will vanish potentially leading to widespread loss of species and their habitats.
Some nine per cent of natural land - 95 per cent of which is in the tropics - could go within 80 years unless global dietary habits change, the scientists say.
![Insights Into Biodiversity-Productivity Relationship]( "Insights Into Biodiversity-Productivity Relationship")
The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial productivity is estimated to be 166 to 490 billion (USD).
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology studied the impact of consumption trends on biodiverse regions - areas that have a wealth of mammals, birds, amphibians and plant life.
They found that rapid increases in meat and milk production result in sharp rises in land clearing in tropical regions that harbour high levels of biodiversity.
As incomes increase across the globe, consumption has shifted from staples such as starchy roots and pulses to meat, milk, and refined sugars. Meat and dairy production is associated with higher land and water use and higher greenhouse gas emissions than any other foods. By replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives, they predict that the global demand for agricultural land could be reduced by 11 per cent. Researchers also found that industrial feed systems reduce agricultural expansion but may increase environmental degradation due to agricultural pollutants such as fertiliser.
The study comes after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last week published a special report that identified reducing meat consumption as an important focus for climate change mitigation.
Lead author Dr Roslyn Henry, said, "Reducing meat and dairy consumption will have positive effects on greenhouse gas emissions and human health. It will also help biodiversity, which must be conserved to ensure the world's growing population is fed. Changing our diets will lead to a more sustainable future and complement food security goals while addressing global food inequalities."
Source: Newswise
Insights Into Biodiversity-Productivity Relationship
The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial productivity is estimated to be 166 to 490 billion (USD).
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Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology studied the impact of consumption trends on biodiverse regions - areas that have a wealth of mammals, birds, amphibians and plant life.
They found that rapid increases in meat and milk production result in sharp rises in land clearing in tropical regions that harbour high levels of biodiversity.
As incomes increase across the globe, consumption has shifted from staples such as starchy roots and pulses to meat, milk, and refined sugars. Meat and dairy production is associated with higher land and water use and higher greenhouse gas emissions than any other foods. By replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives, they predict that the global demand for agricultural land could be reduced by 11 per cent. Researchers also found that industrial feed systems reduce agricultural expansion but may increase environmental degradation due to agricultural pollutants such as fertiliser.
The study comes after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last week published a special report that identified reducing meat consumption as an important focus for climate change mitigation.
Lead author Dr Roslyn Henry, said, "Reducing meat and dairy consumption will have positive effects on greenhouse gas emissions and human health. It will also help biodiversity, which must be conserved to ensure the world's growing population is fed. Changing our diets will lead to a more sustainable future and complement food security goals while addressing global food inequalities."
Source: Newswise
Biodiversity can Help Mitigate Climate Risks
Plant trait diversity may enable the Amazon forests, the world's greatest and the most fascinating tropical ecosystem, to adjust to some level of climate change.
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 Land Use Has Pushed Biodiversity Below Safe Levels GloballyLevels of biodiversity loss are so high that if left unchecked, they could undermine efforts towards long-term sustainable development, reveals a new study. | Advertisement
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