Abstract
Eating meat has been an important component of human evolution and rising meat consumption has made a major contribution to improved nutrition. Expanding the current practices of meat production would worsen its already considerable environmental consequences but more environmentally sensitive ways of meat production are possible. Although they could not match the current levels of meat supply, they could provide nutritionally adequate levels worldwide. This would mean a break with historical trends but such a shift is already underway in many affluent countries and demographic and economic factors are likely to strengthen it in decades ahead. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Generated Summary
This journal article by Vaclav Smil examines the historical and contemporary relationship between human carnivory and meat production, analyzing the environmental impacts and nutritional considerations of meat consumption. The study utilizes a broad, interdisciplinary approach, drawing on scientific evidence, historical trends, and economic factors to evaluate the sustainability of current meat production practices and explore potential alternatives. The research methodology involves a critical assessment of various aspects of meat production, including its environmental burdens (such as greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water contamination), nutritional benefits and drawbacks, and the potential of alternative protein sources. The scope of the study is global, considering meat production and consumption patterns across different regions and economic contexts. The article argues that while meat consumption has played a significant role in human evolution and improved nutrition, current practices are environmentally unsustainable, and it advocates for a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally sensitive methods of meat production. The article’s foundation is built on an understanding of complex realities, advocating for impartial judgments over biased positions. The study does not involve primary data collection; instead, it synthesizes existing research and data from various sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic.
Key Findings & Statistics
- Global meat production rose from less than 50 million tonnes (Mt) in 1950 to about 110 Mt in 1975.
- Global meat production doubled during the next 25 years, and by 2010 it was about 275 Mt.
- Global meat production prorated to about 40 kg/capita in 2010, with the highest rates (US, Spain and Brazil) in excess of 100 kg/capita.
- Meat production is one of the most environmentally burdensome activities, with impacts ranging from groundwater contamination to the global atmosphere.
- Studies show that all forms of vegetarianism (ranging from those allowing consumption of dairy products and eggs to strict veganism) are practiced by no more than 2-4% of population in any Western society.
- Long-term adherence to solely plant-based diets has prevalence lower than 1%.
- Japan’s per capita food supply now averages more than 50 g/day of animal protein, with about 40% coming from seafood and 30% from meat.
- The world’s grasslands have been already degraded by overgrazing, and pasture-based meat production should be reduced by an average of 25% in all low-income countries and by at least 10% in affluent countries.
- Global beef output to about 30 Mt/year (compared to more than 50 Mt in 2010).
- Mutton and goat meat production to about 5 Mt (compared to more than 10 Mt in 2010).
- Annual output of about 200 Mt of meat is the unassailably realistic total of global meat output achievable without any further conversion of natural ecosystems to grazing land.
- Animal foods still supply about 65% of America’s dietary protein.
- Veganism, mock and cultured meats will not prevent future rise of meat demand, but global average per capita meat consumption will not rise to North American or the EU levels.
- Meat production will require further intensification of existing feeding practices predicated on large-scale cultivation of feed crops on arable land.
- In the US, where beef consumption has been already in long-term decline, extraordinarily high rates of overweight and obesity, offer a perfect combination of reasons for greatly reduced meat consumption.
- Diverting feeds into more efficient ways of producing animal protein could displace up to 25% of today’s meat supply in affluent Western countries with high levels of meat consumption (15% by dairy products, 5% each by eggs and seafood) and up to 40% in Asian countries with moderate meat intake.
Other Important Findings
- Human evolution has been closely linked to eating meat.
- Meat consumption has aided higher human encephalization and better physical growth.
- Cooperative hunting of large animals promoted socialization and language development.
- Modern science explained the consequences of protein deficiency, confirming meat’s nutritional advantages.
- Higher meat consumption has been a key component of worldwide dietary transition, enabled by industrialization and urbanization.
- Modern mass-scale meat production creates undeniable burdens, including soil erosion, inefficient conversion of phytomass, generation of waste, emissions of greenhouse gases, and animal welfare concerns.
- The author suggests that solutions will not come from voluntary meatless diets, mass production of mock meat, or muscle tissues cultured in bioreactors.
- Substituting meat intakes by consumption of other high-protein animal foodstuffs is of marginal help.
- Meat production based only on sustainable grazing, feeding of forages rotated with food crops, and maximum use of crop and processing residues is inherently limited.
- Innovations and productivity improvements alone cannot prevent further increases in already significant environmental burden of meat production, and to reduce them we will also need to moderate our meat consumption.
- Commitment to vegetarianism will not fundamentally affect future demand for meat.
- Cultured meat is unlikely to capture a substantial market share in the near future.
- Global average per capita meat consumption will not rise to North American or the EU levels.
- The author suggests that meat production with minimized environmental impact and in a truly sustainable way is possible.
- The author believes that rational production would be produced without any cultivation of feed grains only by combining available crop and processing residues with more environmentally-sensitive use of pastures.
- Annual output of about 200 Mt of meat is the unassailably realistic total of global meat output achievable without any further conversion of natural ecosystems to grazing land.
- Meat production in environmentally more sensitive ways would be equal to almost 70% of the actual 2010 meat output of about 290 Mt.
- Meat can be replaced by eggs and dairy products, as well as seafood, eggs, and dairy products.
- Meat substitutions by aquatic species would be most desirable but not feasible.
- The author concludes that in the coming decades, rational changes in meat consumption will take place by the force of changing circumstances.
Limitations Noted in the Document
- The article acknowledges that any increase in meat production will require further intensification of existing feeding practices, which are already associated with environmental burdens.
- The limitations of relying solely on voluntary dietary changes are noted, emphasizing the difficulty of achieving widespread adoption of vegetarianism.
- The potential of mock meats and cultured meats to significantly impact meat consumption is questioned, highlighting the challenges in scaling up production and market acceptance.
- The article does not propose specific policy recommendations or detailed strategies for achieving sustainable meat production, focusing instead on general principles and potential pathways.
- The article acknowledges that it’s difficult to predict the future due to economic growth and anticipated consumption patterns.
- The article relies on estimates and approximations, which, while erring on the conservative side, may still be subject to uncertainty.
- The analysis of meat production and its environmental impact is simplified and does not account for the full complexity of global food systems.
- The article does not explore the ethical dimensions of meat consumption in detail, primarily focusing on environmental and nutritional considerations.
Conclusion
The central argument of the article is that while meat consumption has historically been a significant aspect of human evolution and dietary practices, the current methods of meat production are unsustainable and contribute significantly to environmental degradation. The author contends that the environmental consequences of meat production, including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water contamination, necessitate a shift towards more sustainable practices. However, the author is also realistic about the limitations of alternative approaches, such as vegetarian diets or lab-grown meat. The document emphasizes the importance of gradual convergence towards more evenly distributed per capita meat consumption, as well as the need to eliminate the worst environmental transgressions involved in mass meat production. It suggests that such a transformation is both desirable and feasible, and that it can be achieved through a combination of efforts, including the adoption of more environmentally sensitive meat production methods, the displacement of some meat consumption with other animal foodstuffs, and the integration of real costs into meat pricing to reflect its true environmental impact. The author foresees that in the coming decades, a convergence of economic and environmental factors will drive rational changes in meat consumption and production. The ultimate conclusion is that while the future of meat consumption is uncertain, it is more than likely that there will be a shift in trends.