Study Says Vegetarians Hurt Environment More Than Meat-Eaters

In the veggie burger-versus-beef burger throwdown, a new study suggests that meat wins the prize for environmental sustainability. A study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund and conducted by the UK's Cranfield University examined how vegetarian and carnivorous diets affect the environment. Researchers found that overall, meat-eaters produce less of a carbon footprint than those who only consume meat-free products. The study counters the recently popular claim that adopting a vegetarian diet decreases greenhouse gas emissions.

And that's certainly a big claim to refute. According to the EPA, livestock produce about 28 percent of the world's methane emissions. Raising animals for human consumption also requires a ton of resources, particularly water and feed. Plus, when not properly handled, animal waste can pollute ground and water supplies. Add some producers' penchant for using antibiotics and growth hormones in their animals, and it's easy to see why so many folks adopt a plant-based diet.

Still, the study brings up some really interesting points. For one, researchers show that most foods serving as meat substitutes (like soy, lentils, and chickpeas) come from overseas. In other nations (particularly developing ones), laws protecting forests from being converted to farmland are more lax than those in the UK. Clear-cutting forests to create plantations emits greenhouse gases, as does shipping these agricultural products to other countries. Plus, if more and more folks do adopt vegetarian diets, it could kill the UK's meat industry, meaning meat production would move overseas. The same deforestation problem could occur in this instance. Finally, many meat substitutes (think soy "chicken" patties and tofu) are heavily processed, meaning they require much more energy to produce than meat products. While this study takes a UK-centric view, these points easily apply to other developed nations.

I'm admittedly on the fence on this issue. On the one hand, it's true that many vegetarian products are imported and heavily processed. And when you look at the chemicals many vegetarian items contain, they're not always so healthy. Still, factory farms and the meat industry have a dirty history. Seems like sustainable foodies are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to dietary choices.

Personally, I think adopting an environmentally friendly diet requires a few strategies, and they've got nothing to do with whether one eats meat or not. For one, stick to locally produced items, preferably within 100 miles of your home—that cuts back on emissions associated with shipping and transportation. Secondly, source products (meat or otherwise) from organic farms or producers you know use sustainable practices. Those are the only places that guarantee food will be raised humanely and won't contain chemical pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones. Finally, stay away from processed stuff in general. Messing with ingredients to create Frankenfood requires fossil fuels and oftentimes a lot of chemicals.

So what do you think, readers? Does the earth care whether consumers are vegetarians or carnivores?

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