"From Meat to Magic: The Astonishing Transformation of Our World"

Let's embark on a thought experiment. Picture a world where there are more than four times as many livestock animals as there are humans. In this world, the weight of farmed cattle alone surpasses the combined weight of all wild mammals. Now, imagine a fantastical scenario where a magical wizard appears, waving a wand to make all meat vanish from our store shelves and even erasing people's desire to consume it. These farm animals, destined for our plates, are whisked away to another planet. What unfolds in the days, years, and even millennia that follow?

In the blink of an eye, greenhouse gas emissions related to food production drop dramatically, by roughly 63%. We bid farewell to the protein and vital nutrients sourced from around 70 billion chickens, 1.5 billion pigs, 300 million cattle, and a staggering 200 million tons of fish and shellfish processed for our consumption each year. To compensate for this nutritional void, we turn to an increased demand for fruits, vegetables, and legumes—a diet that nutrition experts agree offers all the essential nutrients for a healthy life. However, there's an initial challenge as these foods become scarce, causing prices to skyrocket.

In regions with harsh climates, like Mongolia, where growing vegetables is a challenge, the sudden lack of meat leaves people with little to eat. Cultures deeply rooted in meat-centric traditions find themselves at a crossroads. For example, salmon-eating tribes in the Pacific Northwest of the United States lose not only their source of sustenance and livelihood but also a fundamental aspect of their religious practices. Tens of millions of fishermen see their already threatened livelihoods vanish as fish populations decline.

As the meat industry crumbles, households in developing countries scramble for income, which was once derived from livestock farming. Some former meat producers pivot to growing crops, thereby reducing the risk of respiratory diseases linked to livestock production among workers and nearby communities. With the expansion of crop agriculture, prices eventually decrease. As a result, vegetarianism becomes a more cost-effective choice than meat consumption in most countries.

A silver lining emerges as we don't need to clear additional land for farming; the land previously used for animal feed becomes available. All things considered, our new diets require less land and water. Millions of lives are saved each year, thanks in part to reduced rates of heart disease, cancer, and other conditions associated with the consumption of red meat. We no longer encounter new pathogens from wild animals hunted for food, nor do we contend with novel influenza viruses from farmed pigs or drug-resistant superbugs originating from beef cattle raised with preemptive antibiotic use.

Over the years, global biodiversity flourishes as habitat loss, pesticide use, and other agricultural pressures decrease. The Amazonian birds enjoy more forests to fly over, fewer cheetahs are hunted for approaching livestock, and bee, wasp, and butterfly communities thrive as natural areas expand. This resurgence benefits insect-pollinated crops, resulting in higher yields. Many ocean species rebound from the perils of overfishing.

In the course of history, people in traditionally vegetarian regions have developed genetic mutations that enhance their ability to process plant-based fats efficiently. Over thousands of years, our bodies might further adapt to maximize the benefits of a vegetarian diet, or we may lose certain adaptations, such as the capacity to extract iron from meat.

Of course, we're not in the realm of magic, and the world won't turn meatless overnight. While individual choices to embrace vegetarianism are growing, global meat consumption is still on the rise. This trend poses a significant challenge for our environment, as it contributes to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Even if we were to suddenly cease burning fossil fuels, business-as-usual food systems coupled with a growing global population would push temperatures over 1.5°C higher by the end of the century. The largest culprit in this environmental dilemma is cattle, with beef and dairy production responsible for over 60% of all food-based emissions, despite providing only around 18% of the world's calories. Therefore, reducing beef, cheese, and milk consumption could go a long way in reaping many of the advantages of a meatless world, without the need for any magic tricks.