By Eleanor Chen
Meat production is a strain on water resources
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| It takes 13,000 litres of water to produce a kilo of beef. |
For example, it takes 100 litres of water to produce a kilo of potatoes, 4,000l of water to produce a kilo of rice but 13,000l of water to produce a kilo of beef!
Contrast this with the smaller footprint and much wider variety of plant-based foods and we can improve our health while lightening our footprint on earth.
On the use of water, it's well documented that about 97 per cent of the water on the earth's surface is salt water. Only 2.5 per cent of the earth's water is potable and fresh enough for consumption, agriculture and manufacturing.
Consider this: 6,810l of water is needed to produce half a kilo of beef, 2,769l for the same amount of lamb, 2,182l for pork, 1,773l for chicken, and 480l is needed for mutton.
Those who can't give up meat but still want to lighten their impact on the hidden water we use know which meat to choose.
As the world's population increases, demand for food crops will also rise, adding more strain to shrinking agricultural land.
Authorities are already looking at the best use of limited land and water resources to feed the world's hungry and ensure that future generations will have enough to eat.
We share our planet with thousands of plant species that provide us with food.
Yet their diversity has dwindled because of our selective agricultural practices.
Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, says that humans have used more than 7,000 plant species for their needs since the dawn of history.
Strangely, the number of species we cultivate for food has dwindled tremendously.
Heritage fruit and heirloom vegetables, which were commonly grown during earlier periods in human history but not used in modern large-scale agriculture, bear testament to this.
I hope readers will give more thought to the benefits of a plant-based diet which is kinder to their health and the earth -- be it juicing, raw foods, organic or macrobiotic.
Good old cut fruit and salads, without the dressing, when consumed in large enough servings will also keep us biologically fit.
The American Dietetic Association states that, "Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."
Much as I enjoy my steak, I have reduced my consumption of red meat to a dozen portions a year.
While I would like to cut this down to zero portions, it's still a challenge.
I salute vegetarians, and people who eat only fish, with their much lighter footprint on our planet's already stretched resources.
Practising a type of semi-vegetarianism by eating only meat from free-range sources as the Ethical Omnivorists do is another option.
I hope more people will stop to consider the food and water resources our world provides us with -- and don't take any of it for granted. Take action this new year, even if it's baby steps.
It's easier to say no more regularly to the beef rendang, lamb chops, bak kut teh or chicken rice when we remind ourselves just how much water it takes to produce a mere kilo of these meats.
Your body and the planet will thank you for it.
http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/go-green-eat-greens-1.37328
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