Did you know that by 2050, animal feed grain demand alone is set to push global grain demand up by an amount comparable to an additional fifty percent of today’s total grain demand? And that’s not including other factors such as population growth that will push production further.
If a diet of 2,700 calories (it sounds high I know, but that’s the average daily consumption globally) consists of 2,300 plant-based calories and 400 calories from animal sources, a total of 4,800 calories would be needed to produce it. The 400 animal-based calories would require around 2,500 plant calories to produce.
Put differently, producing one kilogram of ‘edible’ meat can take up to thirteen kilograms of grain. As the world consumes more meat, more food is needed to produce the same amount of calories for human consumption.
Many people might think that eating meat or not eating meat is only a decision based on questions of animal welfare, but the reality is that the impact of eating meat reaches far beyond that: it is destroying ecosystems, habitats, oceans, and putting human food security at risk.
As grains for humans and grains for livestock are pitched against each other, food prices rise and food becomes harder and harder to access for the world’s poorest. As overall demand rises, more land must be cleared and made available to support production.
The WWF got in touch with me recently to share their research into soy production and the “hidden soy” found within the average European diet. So when we say ‘how much soy is hidden in our diets,’ we’re not talking tofu or soy milk here but the amount of soy that goes into producing the food consumed as part of a typical omnivorous diet.
75% of the world’s soy goes to feed chickens, pigs, cows and farmed fish.
This “hidden soy” is grown predominantly in South America, where irresponsible soy expansion is having a devastating impact on some of the worlds’ most valuable ecosystems, such as the Amazon, Cerrado and Gran Chaco. The WWF have put together an infographic visualising what is happening and the impact it is having:
Were you surprised by these figures? Are you interesting in seeing more features like this on The Tofu Diaries? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
