what would happen if everyone were to stop eating meat

Let's talk about a hypothetical situation. Livestock outnumbers humans by a factor of over 4. The aggregate weight of all wild mammals is about ten times more than that of farm cattle alone. So picture a wizard of meatless dining appearing out of nowhere and wiping out all of the meat on our shelves—along with the urge to eat it—with the wave of a wand. Animals raised for food disappear and are transported to another world. What will occur during the ensuing days, years, and possibly millennia? Emissions of greenhouse gases connected to food decrease by roughly 63% over night. The almost 70 billion chickens, 1.5 billion pigs, 300 million cattle, and 200 million tons of fish and shellfish that are processed for human consumption each year no longer provide us with protein and essential elements. In order to fill this nutritional gap. Our desire for fruits, vegetables, and legumes rises as a result of the nutritional gap; this diet, according to the majority of dietitians, provides all the nutrients necessary for a healthy existence. However, there aren't enough of these foods available at first. Costs of produce increase due to the increase in demand. People in places like Mongolia, where the severe climate makes it impossible to grow vegetables, are left with little to eat when there is a sudden shortage of meat. Cultures that are based on meat fall apart. For instance, those who belong to salmon-eating tribes in the Pacific Northwest of the United States lose not just their means of subsistence and livelihood but also a significant aspect of their religion. When fish populations decline, tens of millions of anglers lose jobs that were already in danger. The meat industry is failing, and many households in developing nations historically derived from raising cattle is now in short supply. Some meat producers switch to growing agricultural crops, which reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses in both the workforce and surrounding areas. Down. Finally, in the majority of nations. Fortunately, we can raise all of this food without destroying any new acreage. Land that had previously been used to grow feed is now open due to the absence of livestock bred for meat. In the grand scheme of things, our new diets use less water and land. Due in part to lower incidence of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses linked to red meat eating, millions of deaths are prevented each year. We no longer catch novel diseases from wild animals that are hunted for food, or novel influenza viruses from farmed pigs, or antibiotic-resistant superbugs that grow in beef cattle. As time goes on, habitat loss, pesticide use, and other pressures from agriculture decrease, resulting in an increase in global biodiversity. There is more woodland for Amazonian birds to fly over. Cheetahs who stalk animals too closely are shot less frequently. As natural areas grow, bee, wasp, and butterfly communities prosper. Crops that are pollinated by insects consequently yield more. Overfishing causes many ocean species to recover. In historically vegetarian locations, humans have developed a genetic mutation that improves their ability to metabolize plant-based lipids. Our bodies may have evolved over thousands of years to maximize the benefits of our vegetables. Alternately, humans could lose some adaptations, such as the capacity to get iron from meat. Of course, a wizard won't make the globe vegetarian. Despite the fact that many people are opting to become vegetarians, meat consumption is still rising on a global scale. Our climate is in jeopardy because of this trend. Even if we abruptly ceased using fossil fuels, the current food system and population growth would result in a rise in global temperatures of over 1.5°C by the end of the century. The main offender is cattle. Despite only providing about 18% of the world's calories, the production of beef and dairy products is responsible for more than 60% of all emissions related to food. In actuality, diets with moderate amounts of meat, such as chicken, generally result in lower greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarian diets with a lot of dairy. Many of the advantages of a meatless world may be attained without any magic by consuming less milk, cheese, and beef.