How Vegan and Plant-Based Eating Can Help The Environment

Many of us try to take steps in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint, such as using reusable bags, driving an electric car, or switching to clean energy. But did you know that the food you eat could be one of the biggest factors in your carbon footprint? If you’re looking for another way you can help protect the environment, scientists have discovered one of the most impactful steps you can take: eating plant-based foods. 

What is “plant-based” eating?

A plant-based, vegan diet consists of food that comes from plants and has no ingredients from animals, such as meat, dairy, or eggs. Plant-based foods and ingredients include fruits, vegetables, root vegetables (such as potatoes), whole grains, starches, beans, legumes, and nuts. Tofu and other meat alternatives, as well as dairy-free milks and cheeses, are also popular plant-based foods.

Meat and dairy take a big toll on the planet

Plant-based eating is on the rise as people learn more about the negative environmental impacts of meat and dairy. 

In terms of emissions, animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (more than all transportation emissions combined). As you can see in the chart below from Our World in Data, meat and dairy products cause significantly more greenhouse gas emissions than plant-based foods. Beef, lamb, and mutton are the worst offenders, while plant-based food products such as wheat, bananas, potatoes, and nuts all cause only a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions as meat and dairy products.

Source: Our World in Data

Meat and dairy are also harmful when it comes to land use. Animal agriculture is responsible for more than 80% of Amazon deforestation, as millions of acres have been destroyed for cattle ranching. Meat and dairy use 83% of the world’s farmland, but provide just 18% of the world’s calories—making them a very inefficient food source.

When it comes to water use, animal-based food products continue to harm the environment. Producing one pound of beef requires 1,847 gallons of water, while producing one pound of vegetables requires only 39 gallons of water. In fact, 55% of the water consumed in the U.S. is for animal agriculture, while only 5% is consumed by private homes—meaning that meat and dairy products use 10x the amount of water that we use while showering, cooking, and watering our plants! 

The environmental benefits of a plant-based, vegan diet are massive

It’s clear that animal food products such as meat and dairy take their toll on our environment. So how big of a positive impact could eating plant-based foods instead make?

A UN report on climate change found that shifting away from meat consumption and towards plant-based diets on a global scale could have significant environmental impacts. In fact, “if more of the world’s population shifts toward plant-based diets and reduces their meat consumption, it could significantly boost the planet’s ability to fight climate change.”

One researcher who led another report from the journal Science stated that “a vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gasses, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to the documentary Cowspiracy, a person who follows a vegan diet produces 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 13x less water, and uses 18x less land than meat-eaters. That saves 1,100 gallons of water, 30 square feet of forested land, and 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent every day!

In the United States (where per capita meat consumption is three times the global average), shifting towards plant-based diets on a national scale would reduce agricultural emissions by up to 73% and save one million liters of water per person, per year. Together, our collective impact could really add up in a big way for our planet.

There are so many other benefits of plant-based eating, too

The positive benefits of eating a vegan and plant-based diet don’t just stop at the environmental benefits. There are numerous health benefits, as well. Eating plant-based foods can:

• Help improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart health

• Help prevent type 2 diabetes, stroke, or cancer

• Help people lose weight and live longer

Many vegan professional athletes have also reported additional benefits that they’ve experienced after switching to a plant-based diet, including improved energy, mood, performance, recovery, and longevity.

Plus, by lowering the demand for products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, people who eat plant-based diets also help protect animals from the harms of animal agriculture and factory farming.

Plant-based eating has never been easier—or tastier!

Today, plant-based and vegan foods are more accessible than ever before. Meat alternatives such as Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat are on the rise. There are milk, yogurt, and ice cream alternatives made from soy, coconut, almond, and oat milks. Restaurants and grocery stores have more vegan options than ever before, and there are tons of plant-based cookbooks and recipes to help you on your journey. Plant-based eating has also never been more popular. Plant-based food sales have risen dramatically over the last decade, and there are even many celebrities and athletes who eat vegan diets, including Alex Morgan, Venus Williams, Chris Paul, Cillian Murphy, Tobey Maguire, and Lewis Hamilton!

Interested in learning more? 

There are tons of resources that can teach you everything you need to know about plant-based and vegan eating. You can start by calculating the carbon footprint of your diet to understand more about the impact of your food. There are several informative documentaries about the negative impacts of animal agriculture and the benefits of plant-based eating, such as Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives, and The Game Changers. And websites such as The Vegan Society and Forks Over Knives offer plenty of articles and guides to help you make the transition.

Looking for plant-based recipes and inspiration?

We’ve put together lists of seasonal vegan recipes that are perfect for grilling and gathering during the summer, enjoying produce like butternut squash and pumpkin during the fall, and staying cozy and warm during the winter. You can also find more tasty plant-based recipes on our Pinterest!

Plant-based and vegan eating can have a huge positive impact on the planet. Even eating plant-based just one day a week can reduce your carbon footprint significantly. 

Looking for more ways you can make a positive impact on the environment? One of the easiest and most impactful ways you can help protect our planet is by choosing 100% clean, renewable energy from wind and solar for your home. Learn more about how you can sign up today in just 2 minutes and help create a better environment for future generations.