Feature Plant-based for the planet: 4 ways going vegan helps the environment

Most of us would agree that in order to save our environment, we need cleaner energy to fuel our cars, cities, and homes. But what about the food we use to fuel our bodies? As it turns out, this may be the biggest problem of all….

There’s no shortage of research warning that our appetite for meat and dairy is consuming the planet — quite literally — using up vast amounts of land and water and threatening the survival of many unique and precious species of wild animals. But there’s good news – whether you eat veg for a meal, a day, a week or a lifetime — every time you swap an animal-based meal for a plant-based one, you’re helping create a more sustainable food system.

1. Eat your greens, cut your greenhouse gas emissions.

Around 57% of greenhouse gas emissions from our global food system come from animal-based foods, including meat, dairy and eggs. And these emissions are responsible for around 14% of annual human-induced emissions, nearly as much as all the world’s cars, trains and planes combined!

And direct emissions from farming are just one part of the story. The carbon sinks that would naturally capture and store carbon dioxide — our forests — are being cut down to make way for animal farming. Deforestation releases around 3–4 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year, with a significant share driven by land clearing for livestock and animal feed production.

So, how much difference can one meal make? Well, it turns out a lot. Replacing beef with plant-based proteins like beans or lentils (think a hearty lentil bolognese or veggie lasagne) can reduce the emissions of that meal by up to 90% or more, according to research from the University of Oxford. Use this handy calculator to discover just how much you could reduce your impact by adopting a plant-based diet.

2. Save water and tackle world hunger.

While 820 million people around the world go hungry, one-third of the planet’s cereal harvest is fed to farmed animals, who require a huge caloric intake. This grain could feed up to 3–3.5 billion people globally.

Our allocation of fresh water, our most precious resource, paints a similar picture. Sadly, one billion people on our planet struggle to access clean water. Agriculture accounts for about 70% of global freshwater use, with a substantial share going toward livestock and animal feed production.

There’s this stat doing the rounds: if you eat plant-based food for a week, you will save as much water as not showering for 6 months. Incredibly, it stacks up! Swapping dairy milk for oat milk can save tens of thousands of litres of water each year.

It seems like there are more nut and non-dairy options being added to the supermarket shelves every single day, so being deliciously dairy-free has never been easier. Explore our shopping guide or check out these tips for some dairy-free inspiration to suit every occasion.

3. Heal Ocean Dead Zones and protect precious marine life.

Yes, an ocean dead zone is as grim as it sounds. It’s when oxygen levels have dropped so low that marine life, from fish to turtles to sharks, simply cannot survive. One of the main culprits is pollution from land-based animal farming, such as fertiliser and animal waste runoff. All that waste has to go somewhere, and sadly, that ‘somewhere’ is directly into our oceans and other waterways.

There are hundreds of ocean dead zones around the world, some spanning thousands of square kilometres, and all are devoid of the life these delicate ecosystems once sustained.

Industrial farming within our oceans is also wreaking environmental havoc. Many people see eating fish as a more sustainable food choice, but the reality is that farmed fish have a relatively high ecological footprint. Because many fish (like salmon) are farmed in sea cages in the open ocean, the prevalence of disease in fish farms poses a serious threat to ocean ecosystems. That’s because disease can spread into surrounding waters and infect wild fish populations. And just like the farming of land animals for food, fish farming is highly inefficient. Some farmed fish (like salmon) still rely on wild-caught fish for feed, which raises sustainability concerns.

If you’re hankering for something ocean-inspired without any of the fishy business, then try our delectable beer-battered tofu with tartare sauce or explore some of the creative plant-based alternatives to fish that are readily available in major supermarkets.

4. Protect wild animals and their habitats.

It’s hard to imagine a world where a koala, orangutan, gorilla or even a butterfly didn’t exist — but this is the future we’re facing without a major transformation of our food system.

Up to 1 million species are at risk of extinction, largely due to human activity. A recent report by Chatham House warns that our global food system is the leading driver of biodiversity loss, and states that biodiversity loss is just as big a threat to our environment as climate change.

The leading cause of species extinction is habitat loss due to land clearing. And the vast majority of land clearing is for grazing cattle for the beef and dairy industries and for growing crops to feed factory-farmed animals like pigs and chickens.

Our modern food system is not only destructive but also highly inefficient. Consider that animal agriculture takes up 77% of all agricultural land on Earth despite providing only 17% of humanity’s food supply. To break it down further, it takes almost 100 times as much land to produce a gram of protein from beef or lamb as from peas or tofu. And once more, to eat a couple of lamb chops each week for a year requires a parcel of land the size of 12 tennis courts — exponentially more than plant-based alternatives.

Highlighting the environmental recovery that’s possible by rethinking what we eat, the Chatham House report also noted that a switch from beef to beans in the diets of the entire US population could free up 42% of US cropland. This land could then be used for other purposes, such as ecosystem restoration or more nature-friendly farming. Smoky beans, anyone?

Every plant-based meal helps heal our world.

There is now an abundance of research confirming that avoiding meat and dairy is the biggest positive impact we can have on our planet — and that every single meal makes a difference. So, whether you’re swapping dairy for soy in your morning coffee, embracing meat-free Monday or every day, know that you’re helping pave the pathway to a kinder, healthier and more sustainable future for everyone.

Ready to save the world, one meal at a time? Download your free Veg Starter Kit to discover delicious plant-based recipes to help you cut back on meat, dairy, and eggs for a more sustainable world.