What we eat–and how that food is produced–impacts the environment. Each step in the process creates greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s heat and contribute to climate change. According to the United Nations, about a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is linked to food.

Raising animals for food is resource-intensive, requiring considerable amounts of land, water, and energy. It also has negative consequences on biodiversity, deforestation, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, animal-based foods, especially red meat, dairy and prawns, are associated with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. The following examples illustrate how this happens:

• Meat production requires extensive land, which is created by cutting down trees and releasing carbon dioxide stored in forests.
• Animal waste and chemical fertilisers used on feed crops emit nitrous oxide and pollute water systems.
• Cows and sheep emit methane as they digest grass and plants.
• Stored carbon is released into the atmosphere when mangroves are cut down to create prawn farms.

Reducing emissions from the food sector demands change at all stages, from producers to transporters to consumers. Shifting food systems towards plant-rich diets would lead to a substantial reduction in resources and greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of growing crops to feed animals (to then feed us), it is much more efficient and sustainable to consume the plants directly.

Today, most people recognise the importance of considering the environment in their daily lives–by saving water, driving fuel-efficient cars and using renewable energy when they can. However, a new study from Oxford University supports the idea that the most significant choice we can make to reduce our carbon footprint is to switch to a vegan diet.