Will being vegan actually save the planet?
Going vegan has been touted as the single biggest action an individual can take to reduce their environmental impact. But is veganism really the golden ticket we’re looking for to save the planet?
Being a vegan, or at least eating vegan meals has increased in popularity in recent years — with the number of vegans in the UK having quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, according to the Vegan Society.
As you may know, meat such as beef make a huge contribution to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the meat industry causes more environmental damage and use more land and water than any other single food product. But fruit and vegetables are not without their impact as well.
Less meat, more problems
Getting your food from the farm to your kitchen takes a process, and sometimes that process involves a lot of carbon producing steps. Fruits that are delicate, for examples berries, are usually imported to the US and Europe via air to help fill gaps when local supply is out of season. In the UK, it was found that asparagus has the highest carbon footprint compared to any other vegetable eaten in the country, with 5.3kg of carbon dioxide being produced for every kilogram…
