Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
from (what appears to us to be) a credible study and then
added some of their own beliefs (which cannot be defended by
data), making it seem as if that credible study deemed organic
foods to be environmentally friendly.
The agricultural industry is also to blame for misleading
readers. The agribusiness newspaper
Feedstuffs
has published
a number of articles making it seem that organic food always
has a higher carbon footprint, yet research contradicts such
blanket conclusions.
Often it seems groups decide first which foods emit less car-
bon and then seek out the data defending their choice, rather
than letting the data determine their conclusions. This way of
thinking detaches a controversy from evidence, making reso-
lution impossible.
How Do Animal- and Plant-Based Foods Compare?
Two studies have been conducted to answer this question by
studying the actual foods vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores
tend to eat. One study took place in the United Kingdom and
one in France, and they yield conflicting results. The UK study
found that the foods vegetarians and vegans eat result in less
carbon emissions. The French study found that, on a per calo-
rie basis, fruits and vegetables had a carbon footprint similar
to animal-based foods, except meat produced from ruminants
like cows and sheep, whose emissions were larger. So long as
beef is a major part of the omnivorous diet, it probably has a
higher carbon footprint than vegan diets. While animal-based
foods emitted more carbon on a per pound basis, one gener-
ally needs more pounds of fruits and vegetables to provide the
same number of calories, and so they concluded that vegan
and vegetarian diets do not have lower carbon footprints.
Suppose the UK study is right and vegan diets do emit less
carbon. Vegan meals are also less expensive, according to this
study, and if those savings are spent on things that are high
emitters of carbon (like a plane flight) they may negate any
