4 ms·

Veganism doesn't solve every issue, but it makes them better almost immediately. For the problem you mention, we would need to farm substantially less with Vega

by z_open 3y ago

Veganism doesn't solve every issue, but it makes them better almost immediately. For the problem you mention, we would need to farm substantially less with Veganism. Feed ratios for cows is around 7:1 when I checked last. So it absolutely is cow.

raptorraver 3y ago
You're propably correct about the feed ratio but cows eat grasses and hay that aren't consumable by humans. In warm countries that's not a problem, people could grow there crops that humans can eat, but in big parts of world (like here in north where I live) grasses are best thing to grow. Also grasslands are best carbon sink we currently have (https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/grasslands-more-reliable-carbon-sink-than-trees https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/grasslands-mo...) and you can't have those without ruminants. Also it's good to remember how much food we waste each year. We could easily feed the world already now but it doesn't seem to be priority for the people in charge. That said I'm on a same side with vegans, I don't like the current way we produce food and I'd like to see a big systemic change there. But I think vegans don't take into account how complex problems we are dealing with - nature, agriculture's economics and eating habits and nutritional requirements of humans.
- robocat 3y ago
  > grasses are best thing to grow The article talks about Grasslands. Farming cows on grass is something else (not grasslands) and fertisers are used and imported feed (or finishing feed in many countries). Without looking at the whole system you can't make any judgement. ~55% of New Zealand is being used for sheep and cattle. The environmental cost of that is unbelievable. Grass is not good. PS: I'm not a vegan.
- z_open 3y ago
  Even in the US grassfed is less than 1%. It's just not sustainable.
- digging 3y ago
  We can still farm ruminants on open grasslands where those are appropriate ecosystems, but that will mean cutting meat production by, I don't know, 99.99% or so. Which is fine, it's not healthy to eat a hamburger every day.

by z_open 3y ago

raptorraver 3y ago

You're propably correct about the feed ratio but cows eat grasses and hay that aren't consumable by humans. In warm countries that's not a problem, people could grow there crops that humans can eat, but in big parts of world (like here in north where I live) grasses are best thing to grow. Also grasslands are best carbon sink we currently have (https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/grasslands-more-reliable-carbon-sink-than-trees https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/grasslands-mo...) and you can't have those without ruminants. Also it's good to remember how much food we waste each year. We could easily feed the world already now but it doesn't seem to be priority for the people in charge. That said I'm on a same side with vegans, I don't like the current way we produce food and I'd like to see a big systemic change there. But I think vegans don't take into account how complex problems we are dealing with - nature, agriculture's economics and eating habits and nutritional requirements of humans.

robocat 3y ago
> grasses are best thing to grow The article talks about Grasslands. Farming cows on grass is something else (not grasslands) and fertisers are used and imported feed (or finishing feed in many countries). Without looking at the whole system you can't make any judgement. ~55% of New Zealand is being used for sheep and cattle. The environmental cost of that is unbelievable. Grass is not good. PS: I'm not a vegan.
z_open 3y ago
Even in the US grassfed is less than 1%. It's just not sustainable.
digging 3y ago
We can still farm ruminants on open grasslands where those are appropriate ecosystems, but that will mean cutting meat production by, I don't know, 99.99% or so. Which is fine, it's not healthy to eat a hamburger every day.