Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side? Plant-based Foods and their Environmental Footprint

In a previous post, we looked at the environmental footprint of meat production (mainly cattle). But, after I embarked on my one-day vegan journey on World Food Day, I began to wonder, what does it take to produce plant-based foods? Is veganism feasible here in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) as a mainstream diet? 

Well, regardless of the crop, in order to grow it, we need space. Traditional and modern agriculture, both practised in T&T, involve clearing of land. This means that trees will be cut down and animals will lose their habitats. So, I guess it is true to say that it is inevitable for humans to exist without harming the environment in some way. 

The production of rice, a staple my family and I eat daily, contributes large amounts of methane (a potent greenhouse gas-GHG) to the atmosphere, due to the swampy conditions in which it is grown. So, we can't say that livestock is the only culprit of large-scale methane production.

Photo of rice farming by Niphon Smitthapipat

Further, almonds (including almond milk), which many vegans consume regularly, use tonnes of water in their production. Fulton & Norton (2018) have found that it takes 12 litres (3.2 gallons) of water to produce one almond in California (a large-scale producer of almonds)!  

Photo of almonds and almond milk by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Rethinking Veganism

Veganism is not feasible everywhere. Land that is unsuitable for planting crops is often used to graze animals. Therefore, completely cutting out animal products from the diet will effectively waste this land and feed less people. Also, if there is a decreased demand for animal products, many cattle farmers and even national economies will fall since they depend on cattle sales. Guyana also relies on rice production as a major source of income. [1] 

'Meating our Targets'

Meat and animal products are part of our rich Caribbean culture. From cow heel soup to curried chicken, meat plays a part in many of our festivities. Animal products are important in many religious ceremonies like Eid-ul-Adha (when cows and goats are sacrificed and eaten), Hindu prayers (where milk is distributed to gathered worshippers in the temple), as well as Christmas celebrations (we love some good beef pastelles!). 

So, as much as we want to help the environment, meat is also a crucial part of our lives, especially for farmers who rely on livestock production for income. In the journal Elementa, Peters & Picardy (2016) say that “Empirical evidence shows that consumption of meat and dairy products increases as a country’s per capita income increases.”

Other issues still arise with veganism as the “ultimate climate diet”. Remember that a diet is supposed to meat one’s nutritional needs, but vegans don’t often get the critical nutrients that one can derive from animal-based protein (Kirshenbaum & Vega, 2019). In fact, many vegans take vitamin B supplements since they don’t eat meat, which is rich in this essential nutrient. 

Taking all this international research with a ‘grain of salt’ as it relates to meat production here in T&T, and based on my previous posts, I would say that we need to ‘meat our targets’. In other words, we don’t all need to be vegans, but we can reduce the amount of meat that we eat, by say, going vegetarian for 1 day a week, or reducing our portion sizes of meat. Perhaps we can replace red meats with chicken (which produces less GHGs in its production).
So what do you say? Can you meat these goals?

[1] Check out the video below for more information on rethinking veganism!

REFERENCES

1. Our Changing Climate. (2018, February 2). Here's why we need to rethink veganism [Video]. Youtube. https://tinyurl.com/yyzp6f3h

2. Kirshenbaum, S. & Vega, K. (Producers). (2019, February 7). Red meat, us, and the environment [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/podcasts/598860638/serving-up-science 

3. Fulton, J., Norton, M. & Shilling, F. (2018).  Water-indexed benefits and impacts of California almonds. Ecological Indicators, 96 (1), 711-717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.12.063 

4. Carlsson-Kanyama, A., Gonzáles, A. D. (2009). Potential contributions of food consumption patterns to climate change. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1704S-1709S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736AA
5.  Peters, C.J., Picardy, J., Darrouzet-Nardi, A. F., Wilkins, J.L., Griffin, T.S. & Fick, G.W. (2016). Carrying capacity of U.S. agricultural land: Ten diet scenarios. Elem Sci Anth, 4, 000116. http://doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000116