What would happen if everyone stopped eating meat tomorrow? - Carolyn Beans

Summary

This hypothetical scenario envisions a world where all meat disappears, leading to an immediate 63% drop in food-related greenhouse gas emissions. The disappearance of livestock affects not only the climate but also global nutrition, economies, and cultures. As people turn to plant-based diets, demand for fruits, vegetables, and legumes surges, initially causing a spike in prices. However, the shift to vegetarianism becomes more affordable over time, and the reduced demand for meat leads to lower land and water usage. Healthier populations, increased biodiversity, and a more sustainable food system are among the long-term benefits, suggesting that even without magic, reducing meat consumption could significantly benefit the planet.

Takeaways

• 🌍 There are significantly more livestock than people, with farmed cattle alone weighing nearly ten times as much as all wild mammals combined.
• 🪄 If all meat were to disappear, food-related greenhouse gas emissions would drop by approximately 63%.
• 🥗 The demand for fruits, vegetables, and legumes would increase to fill the nutritional gap left by the absence of meat.
• 📈 Initial shortages of these plant-based foods would cause their prices to rise, affecting accessibility, especially in regions ill-suited for growing vegetables.
• 🍽️ Cultures and communities reliant on meat would face significant challenges, including loss of livelihoods and cultural practices.
• 🌱 Some former meat producers might shift to crop agriculture, which could improve health in neighboring communities by reducing exposure to livestock-related diseases.
• 💰 Over time, vegetarianism could become more affordable than meat-eating as crop agriculture expands and prices stabilize.
• 🌳 Adopting plant-based diets would require less land and water, and could lead to significant health benefits by reducing diseases associated with meat consumption.
• 🐦 Global biodiversity could increase as pressures from agriculture like habitat loss and pesticide use decrease, benefiting both wildlife and human health.
• 🧬 Over thousands of years, human bodies might evolve to process plant-based fats more efficiently, or we might lose certain adaptations related to meat consumption.
• 🌿 Even without magic, reducing consumption of beef, cheese, and milk could achieve many of the benefits of a meatless world, contributing to climate goals.

Q & A

What would be the immediate impact on greenhouse gas emissions if all meat were to suddenly disappear?

Overnight, food-related greenhouse gas emissions would drop by about 63%.

How would the sudden disappearance of meat affect the protein and nutrient intake of the global population?

People would no longer get protein and key nutrients from the billions of farm animals processed for consumption each year.

What dietary changes would be necessary to fill the nutritional gap left by the absence of meat?

There would be an increased demand for fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which are recognized by dietitians as containing all the nutrients needed for a healthy life.

What economic consequences could the sudden disappearance of meat have on households in developing countries?

Many households that relied on livestock farming for income would be left scrambling for alternative sources of income.

How would the demand for fruits and vegetables affect their prices in the short term?

The rise in demand for these foods would initially cause produce costs to soar due to the sudden and significant shift in dietary needs.

What cultural impacts might be observed in regions where meat consumption is deeply ingrained?

Cultures built around meat would lose their foundations, affecting not only sustenance and livelihoods but also religious practices and traditions.

How would the collapse of the meat industry affect workers and neighboring communities?

Some meat producers might shift to agricultural crops, which could make workers and neighboring communities less susceptible to respiratory diseases associated with livestock production.

What long-term health benefits could be expected from a global shift to vegetarianism?

Millions of deaths could be avoided each year due to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and other conditions associated with red meat consumption.

How would the absence of livestock farming affect land and water usage?

Our new diets would require less land and water, as the land previously used for growing animal feed could be repurposed or left to regenerate.

What environmental benefits could be observed in the oceans if all meat were to suddenly disappear?

Many ocean species would rebound from overfishing, as the demand for fish and shellfish would plummet.

How might human evolution be affected by a sustained vegetarian diet over thousands of years?

Humans might evolve to make the most of plant-based fats, potentially developing genetic mutations that enhance the efficiency of plant fat processing.