Social Action

At the LJS, we are excited to share that we are undertaking the EcoJudaism audit (read page 7 the January/February edition of LJS News here) with the ultimate goal of becoming an attributed EcoSynagogue.

Are you vegetarian, vegan or a proponent of the view that a healthy mix

of everything in moderation is the best option?

In this ‘Eco Corner’ we shed light on the environmental consequences of various diets and suggest ways to mitigate their impact. The website of the Vegetarian Society underscores the urgency of addressing our resource consumption, arguing that ‘we are consuming the planet’s natural resources faster than the Earth can replenish them, and without change, by 2050, we will need the equivalent of three planets’ resources to meet our current needs.’ (United Nations, 2019; Berners-Lee et al., 2018).

A pivotal study published in Nature Today on 6 March 2023, highlights the significant contribution of food consumption to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the study, ‘Global food consumption alone could add nearly 1°C to warming by 2100; 75% of this warming is driven by foods that are high sources of methane (ruminant meat, dairy and rice). However, over 55% of anticipated warming can be avoided from simultaneous improvements to production practices, the universal adoption of a healthy diet and consumer- and retail-level food waste reductions.’

The article emphasises that addressing the warming impact of the agriculture sector is complex due to the emission of multiple GHGs with varying radiative properties, atmospheric longevities, and emission sources. Carbon dioxide, for instance, can persist in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and is emitted throughout the food supply chain from energy use in cultivation machinery through to product transportation. Methane, which can trap over 100 times more heat than CO₂ on a per-mass basis, but has a shorter atmospheric lifetime of about a decade, is mainly emitted from animal products and rice production through enteric fermentation, manure management, and rice paddy methanogenesis. Nitrous oxide (N₂O), has an even greater heat-trapping potential - over 250 times that of CO₂ - and an atmospheric lifetime of around a century, is released through synthetic fertilizer use, the cultivation of nitrogen-fixing crops, and ruminant excretion on rangelands (Nature Today, 2023).

More agricultural land is used to raise cattle than all other domesticated animals and crops combined (Richie, 2017). A vegetarian diet requires two-and-a-half times less the amount of land needed to grow food compared to a meat-based diet (World Wide Fund for Nature). In the UK, livestock consume more than half of the 20 million tonnes of cereal, accounting for over 50% of wheat and 60% of barley (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, 2021).

The statistics cited by the Vegetarian Society about the relative land use of a plant-based versus meat-based diet are further explored by ‘A Well-Fed World’, an international hunger relief and food security organization. They highlight the inefficiency of feed ratios, noting that animals consume more food than they produce. The feed conversion ratios become even less efficient after accounting for the loss of water, blood, and non-consumable body parts during slaughter and packaging processes.

Choosing grass-fed beef over grain-fed beef, while popular for health and environmental reasons, may actually exacerbate climate change. Ruminant animals like cows, sheep, and goats produce three times more methane when consuming grass and hay due to enteric fermentation. Additionally, the deforestation for grazing land reduces photosynthesis, which is vital for reducing GHGs in the atmosphere (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2006).

According to a 2019 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock now use 30% of the earth's entire land surface, including 33% of global arable land used for producing feed for livestock. This has driven deforestation, especially in Latin America, where 70% of former forests in the Amazon have been converted to grazing land (FAO, 2019).

On a positive note, the website of HomeBiogas states that environmentally friendly dairy cow farming is possible. New studies aim to reduce methane emissions through improved cattle diets, such as seaweed supplements, and the development of vaccines to reduce methane production from enteric fermentation. Selective breeding for feed efficiency and methane reduction also shows promise in reducing agriculture's impact on climate change, though further research and innovation are needed (HomeBiogas).

References:

• United Nations. (2019). United Nations population stats 2019. Retrieved from UN World Population Prospects.
• Berners-Lee, M., et al. (2018). ‘Current global food production is sufficient to meet human nutritional needs in 2050 provided there is radical societal adaptation.’ Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 6(1), 52. Retrieved from Elementa.
• Richie, H. (2017). ‘Agricultural land by global diets.’ Retrieved from Our World in Data.
• World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved from WWF.
• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. (2021). ‘UK annual supply and demand estimates.’ Retrieved from AHDB.
• Food and Agriculture Organization. (2006). ‘Livestock's long shadow.’ Retrieved from FAO.
• The Breakthrough Institute. (2023). ‘Livestock don't contribute 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.’ Retrieved from The Breakthrough Institute.
• HomeBiogas. Retrieved from HomeBiogas.