Unexpected benefits if one day the world does not have ... meat

What if one day the meat disappears from the daily diet?

The results of recent studies show that the world will have significant changes in air, water, environmental benefits, health care . if this kind of indispensable food is replaced by other 'non-protein' types.

A butcher shop in Beijing, China.(Source: EPA / VNA).

Benefits from meatless meals

One of the most frequent environmental costs of meat consumption is the amount of CO2 emitted during meat production.

Compared to fruits and vegetables, CO2 emissions from meat production are quite high. The Scientific American organization compares the amount of CO2 emitted from the production of half a pound (1 pound = 0.454 kg) of food with emissions from cars.

Results showed that potato production emitted the least amount of CO2, equivalent to emissions when driving 0.17 miles (1 mile = 1,60934 km).

Producing apples, asparagus emits equivalent emissions of 0.2 miles and 0.27 miles of driving.

Production of chicken and pork emits CO2 equivalent to the driving level of 0.73 miles and 2.52 miles. Beef production produced the highest results, equivalent to driving 9.81 miles.

The Oxford Martin School of Oxford University research also showed that a global shift to less meat-dependent diets could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds.

The study also offers three scenarios for 2050 when the world population follows the direction of eating healthily, as the world's population moves and when the world population is vegetarian.

The results showed that the world population when vegetarian will bring nearly 600 billion USD in environmental benefits and nearly 1,100 billion USD in health care benefits.

The population, if converted to a vegetarian diet, will bring in more than $ 500 billion in environmental benefits, and nearly $ 1,000 billion in health care benefits, far out of the last group, bringing in only over $ 200 billion in environmental benefits. school and over $ 700 billion in health care benefits.

Dr. Marco Springmann, who led the study, identified what people eat that have a major impact on personal health and the global environment.

Water is the next big factor next to the air, closely related to the amount of human food consumed. The World Economic Forum (WEF) leads the statistics of Ecosystems - a global assessment of water for animal products - showing the production of meat and animal products such as milk, eggs, butter, use a significant amount of water if compared with cultivation.

To get 1 ton of chicken must consume nearly 5,000m3 of water. The amount of water used to produce 1 ton of pork, lamb, and goat meat is more, about 5,000-8,000m3 of water.

The amount of water used to produce beef is the most, more than 15,000m3 of water, 60 times higher than the amount of water produced 1 ton of sugarcane or 1 ton of vegetables, about 250m3 of water.

BBC news agency made some assumptions when the whole world turned to vegetarianism. If everyone is vegetarian in 2050, the world will reduce about 7 million deaths per year.

If it's a vegetarian diet, this number is increased to 8 million. Meat-free meals minimize the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers, and can save the world from 2-3% of gross domestic product (GDP) bill buy medicine.

Without meat, humans need to find alternative nutritional foods, when the world now has more than 2 billion people without food.

Vegetarian-friendly countries

Worldatlas.com said, with nearly 38% of the population fasting, India is now the most vegetarian place in the world. Israel is in second place with 13% of the population being vegetarian, followed by Taiwan (China) with 12%, Italy (10%), Austria, England and Germany (both at 9%), followed by Brazil (8%), Ireland (6%) and Australia (5%).

According to Lonelyplanet, Seychelles, located in Eastern Africa, topping the list of the most vegetarian-friendly countries in the world based on the Global Vegetarian Index compiled by Oliver's Travels (UK), with the amount of meat consumed The lowest per capita / year in the world (35.6 kg), many vegetarian restaurants (117 restaurants) correlate with the small population.

Thailand ranked second, with 25.8 kg of meat / person / year, 908 vegetarian restaurants. Malaysia occupies the third place, with 52.3 kg of meat consumed / person / year, 1,185 vegetarian restaurants.

Representing the 'old continent' is the United Kingdom, with 84.2 kg of meat / person / year, 4,433 restaurants. North America has Belize, with 42.5 kg of meat / person / year, 28 restaurants.

South America has Peru with 20.8 kg of meat / person / year, 284 restaurants. Representing Oceania is Solomon Islands, consuming 11.9 kg of meat / person / year.

America is the country with the most vegetarian restaurants in the world (18,975 restaurants) but not in the top 20 countries because the average meat consumption in this country stands at the highest level in the world, 120 kg / person / year, compared to with the lowest rate of Bhutan, 3 kg of meat / person / year.

Countries that are less dependent on meat in Southeast Asia are top on the list.