I agree with you that meat consumption is a menace, but please don't put almonds (or any trees) at the same level as cattle. Alfalfa consumes 10-20x more water

I agree with you that meat consumption is a menace, but please don't put almonds (or any trees) at the same level as cattle. Alfalfa consumes 10-20x more water than almonds. Alfalfa is used for animal feed, is using fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, animal ag produces methane and causes water pollution and oceanic dead zones, is a source of zoonotic diseases, consumes a lot of antibiotics ... None of that is true with almonds and pistachios, as both crops could replace milk and dairy, and they produce proteins and fats that can feed the population sustainably. I understand that growing almond monocultures in a desert may be a stupid idea, but remove animal ag. water usage and you will have water problems no more. Change those almond monocultures (and alfalfa fields) to diverse food forest, and you may reverse desertification and increase precipitation in that area.