Yeah, the really good news is that U.S. residents are eating less meat! (Note: that’s the #1 priority for tackling climate change.) But the bad news, which trumps this good news, is that meat consumption worldwide is increasing. Here’s more from sister site Eat Drink Better:
In the past 3 years, there has been a stark decline in the amount of meat that people in the U.S. are consuming. According to Your Daily Dose of Vegan Outreach:
Adding up the decline for 2009, 2010, and 2011, compared to 2008, 1.1 billion fewer animals were killed than if 2008 levels had continued.
That’s a billion animals saved over just a few years. Part of the decline is most likely linked to rising food prices, but you also have to give props to plant-based diets gaining popularity. Whether people are eating less meat to save money, improve their health, or for animal rights reasons, this trend is good news from an environmental perspective, given animal agriculture’s effect on the environment.
The bad news is that as Americans are eating less meat, demand for meat in other countries is on the rise. In China for example, experts expect beef imports to increase by 38%, and we’re seeing more meat consumption in Latin America, as well. Unfortunately, lower meat consumption here in the U.S. doesn’t balance out the demand in other countries. According to the meat industry experts, meat consumption worldwide is expected to increase by 73% by 2050.
Piglet via shutterstock