Human population is growing and with it comes the demands to feed everyone. We currently produce enough food to feed everyone but there are 3 main factors preventing this. Animal Agriculture is one such factor – we produce so much food to feed animals that could be used for feeding people.

Less than half – only 48% – of the world’s cereals are eaten by humans. 41% is used for animal feed and 11% for biofuels, and in the USA over 50% of grain produced is fed to animals. The solution is at our hands – switch to plant-based food systems to ensure enough food is available to feed everyone. 

 

Food wastage is another factor – and switching to plant-based food systems would help ensure less wastage, especially grains, beans, pulses, cereals, nuts and seeds requiring less storage than animal products (which often require intense refrigeration and can spoil easily). Currently 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted each year.  

 

A 3rd factor is unequal distribution of food – and again plant-based food systems can help address that inequality, ensuring plentiful supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables in inner city areas, produced and distributed by local communities. Currently, even though the world produces enough food to feed the entire population, four out of ten people in the world can’t afford a healthy diet. Food sovereignty, food justice and food apartheid can all be addressed by the advent of switching to plant based food systems.

 

A further obstacle to the proliferation of plant based agriculture – subsidies. Currently 82% of EU food subsidies go towards animal agriculture with only 18% supporting plant based food. This has to change.

 

The development of inner-city farms, rooftop farms, vertical farming, allotments and urban growing for plant-based options can be a major factor in ensuring communities have access to fresh, affordable & plentiful supplies of fruit and vegetables. In New York for example there are already over 500 rooftop farms, keeping food supplies local and without the requirement for storage or transport. Supermarkets in Europe are developing their own in-house farms to reduce wastage and transport. Its worth noting that even imported plant based options have a significantly lower effect on emissions than animal products.

 

One of the biggest driving factors for people choosing to live vegan is the end to world starvation – plant based food systems combined with fair trade principles, food justice and sovereignty can genuinely help achieve an end to global poverty.

 

 

 

Inclusive Responsibility – Rethinking Food & Agriculture – ed. Laila & Amir Kassam