Food awareness organization ProVeg International has updated its Food System Data website with several new sections, providing essential information for journalists, campaigners, and researchers.
The new section on water illustrates that the production of animal-based foods generally requires more water than the production of plant-based foods and meat alternatives. There are exceptions — some plant-based products, such as coffee, cocoa, and certain nuts, can have high water footprints. However, even when this is taken into account, the database shows that moving towards plant-based diets can reduce an individual’s water footprint by 25–55%.
There is also a new section on methane, demonstrating that this greenhouse gas is a key cause of climate change and that farm animals are responsible for 32% of global human-made methane emissions. It notes that since methane is a short-lived greenhouse gas, reducing emissions from animal agriculture could be one of the most effective ways to mitigate global warming.
Credible figures about the food system
A new database section on food security points out that resilient food systems need crops that can withstand both climate change and market disruptions. It finds that shifting toward plant-rich diets and diverse crop production could enhance sustainability and global food availability.
Finally, a newly added section on soy describes how this crop has a relatively small environmental impact when consumed by humans in products such as tofu and soy milk. However, the majority of soy is fed to farmed animals, which contributes to significant environmental degradation. This is because raising animals for food is inefficient, and large quantities of feed are required to produce relatively small amounts of meat.
“The database is designed to deliver the most credible figures around the food system, food system change, and the transition towards plant-rich diets,” says ProVeg International.
