Nov 06, 2022 18:00:00

How much can we reduce carbon dioxide emissions by switching beef to alternative meat?

Meat alternatives, which use plant-derived ingredients to reproduce the taste and texture of meat, are attracting attention as a way to meet the ever-increasing demand for meat and help protect the environment, and are

readily available at fast food restaurants. stage is reached. Overseas media Knowable Magazine summarizes the impact of such alternative meat on environmental protection.

Fake meats: How sustainable are they?
https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2022/how-sustainable-are-fake-meats

As the world's population continues to grow, so too does global meat demand. The graph below shows the transition of meat demand worldwide, showing the demand for chicken, pork, beef, goat meat & sheep meat in order from the bottom. Meat demand has been increasing since 1961 and is projected to continue increasing until 2050.

As the demand for meat continues to increase as described above, there are concerns about the risk that meat production will not be able to keep up with the increase in the environmental burden associated with meat production. If you check the graph below, which summarizes the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of animal foods, meat alternatives, and plant foods that can obtain 100 g of protein, you can see that beef production (Beef, beef herd) and milk production ( Beef, dairy herd) emits significantly more carbon dioxide than pork, poultry and egg production. On the other hand, you can see that the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of alternative meat (plant-based) are less than chicken and eggs.

The graph below shows the area of land required for the production of animal foods, meat substitutes and plant foods. It turns out that beef production requires more than 10 times more land than the land required to produce other foods. On the other hand, we can see that the land required for the production of alternative meat is less than the land required for the production of eggs, beans (Peas) and tofu (Tofu).

As mentioned above, the carbon footprint associated with the production of alternative meat is overwhelmingly lower than the carbon dioxide emissions associated with meat production, and less land is required. For this reason, it can be said that the spread of alternative meat is extremely important for environmental protection and sustainability in a world where the demand for meat continues to increase.