How can we farm for a vegan future?

By 2025, the UN predicts that the world’s population will be close to 10 billion. This increase in global demand for food means that farming is going through a major transformation, and farmers are being forced to adopt methods that are less damaging to the environment in order for us all to meet our nutritional needs.

With the global population expected to reach over nine billion by 2050, animal agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Although this industry currently occupies around a third of Earth’s landmass – and causes massive air, water and soil pollution – it still contributes about 18% of all greenhouse gases. The good news is that people are responding: vegetable-based diets are on the rise globally, with veganism particularly on the up in many countries.

The vegan movement is growing rapidly. There are now more than 550,000 followers of the Vegan Society and a whopping 1,500 new vegans every week! More people are going vegan for ethical and health reasons, but many do it to help the environment too. We need to make our food system sustainable if we want future generations to have healthy lives on this planet.

In recent years, there has been a shift in the way we think about food. We are now aware of how much impact our lifestyle habits have on the environment and on animals, and as a result, many people are choosing to live vegan lifestyles. As more people turn to a vegan diet, they need to understand that it requires more than just removing meat from their plate; it also needs farmers who can produce enough vegetables without using animal products such as eggs or milk.

We need to feed the world. Since we are in a global warming crisis, there is a debate raging now about how? We know that meat and dairy produce huge amounts of methane which causes climate change. But we also know that without those foods, many people around the world will not have enough protein in their diet. So what’s the solution? One solution is to farm fish for human consumption instead of feeding them to farmed animals who produces meat for us. Another solution is to eat insects because they produce less methane than cows do and taste good too!

Many assume that it's impossible to farm while being vegan, but the reality is that animal-free farming is possible. Veganic farming - or “veganiculture” - uses a natural approach to growing crops without using any animal materials. Veganic farmers do not use manure products from animals and they don’t use synthetic fertilizers either. Instead, their soil fertility comes from composted plant material and green manures (plant cover crops). The philosophy behind veganics is about natural systems with minimal interference for optimum plant growth, rather than large-scale industrial agriculture farms where maximizing profit takes precedence over the environment.

The question of whether the world needs to shift to a plant-based diet has been debated for decades. But with the urgent need for plant-based agriculture - to protect public health; to mitigate climate change; and to optimize land use for planetary health - it's time we got serious about making the shift.

What is the ethical argument for veganism?

Veganism is a lifestyle where people abstain from any animals whatsoever, including products such as eggs and honey. It's an ethical position of not taking the life of any animal for reasons beyond necessity. People become vegan for a number of different reasons, but many argue that it's about doing what's right for the planet and the future of our environment.

Why is it essential to produce food responsibly?

In recent years, there has been a global shift towards veganism. In the United States alone, 18% of people now identify as vegans. While these people often cite ethical concerns as their motivation for the diet, those concerns will only grow as population density increases and resources become scarce. After all, feeding an entire world population on a vegan diet is a difficult task.

What are some of the issues with animal agriculture?

1. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of the sixth mass extinction in history.
2. It has been estimated to use 35% of all fresh water globally.
3. Species are being driven extinct at 1,000 times the natural rate.
4. Animals on factory farms are fed soy and corn grown using unsustainable farming techniques, which can lead to soil erosion, nutrient leaching, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Which crops could we grow in place of cattle grazing?

There is a wide variety of crops we could grow in place of cattle grazing. Algae is a promising future food. It is very high in protein and has more iron than beef. Lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and broccoli also grow very well with less water usage than meat production.

What are the sustainability benefits of plant-based diets?

Plant-based diets are more sustainable than meat-centric diets because they emit less methane and require less water, land, and energy. A diet centered around plants can reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and other chronic diseases by cutting down on cholesterol intake. The production of plant-based ingredients is also less resource-intensive than meat-based products.

Conclusion

With many people feeling disconnected from nature, farming for a vegan future is the only hope to reconnect human beings with their food. It's time to break out of the old industrialized model and start transforming agriculture for the good of our planet and its inhabitants.