Vegan diet slashes carbon footprint by nearly half
Switching to a vegan diet can cut your carbon footprint by nearly half while using one-third less land and less water, according to a new study.
Why it matters
- This study highlights the significant environmental benefits of adopting a vegan diet, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower land and water usage.
By the numbers
- Vegan menus produced 46% less CO₂ than Mediterranean omnivorous diets.
- Vegan diets used 33% less land and 6.6% less water.
- All diet models met protein needs and most micronutrient requirements, except for vitamin D and iodine across all diets, and vitamin B₁₂ in the vegan model.
The big picture
- Well-planned vegan diets can achieve comparable sustainability and nutritional adequacy to a healthy Mediterranean diet, with attention to certain micronutrients.
What they're saying
- A commenter pointed out that the study suggests any reduction in meat eating reduces carbon footprint.
- Another critic noted that the title might be misleading as it refers to the whole carbon footprint rather than just food-related emissions.
Caveats
- The study found some nutritional deficiencies in vegan diets, particularly in vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iodine. These need to be addressed through careful planning or supplementation.
What’s next
- Further research is needed to address the nutritional gaps in vegan diets and to explore ways to make plant-based diets more accessible and appealing to a broader audience.