An important aspect of an exclusively plant-based eating pattern or having any choice about what we eat is privilege. With the privilege of choice, this conversation would be relevant. People across the globe are starving due to a lack of food or lack of nutritious food. The fact that I can read about different eating patterns, choose the one I like best, and execute that decision means I have more means at my disposal than many others. When food is scarce, the best thing to eat is what you can access at any time. It’s something that goes without saying but deserves attention anyway.

On the other hand, some numbers I’ve come across in reading about human nutrition and eating patterns are mind-boggling. There are around 8 billion people on Earth right now, according to www.commerce.gov. A modest estimate of the number of land animals killed for human consumption each year is around 80 billion, so 10 times the number of people, according to various sources, including www.ourworldindata.org. Close to or above 99% of those animals are raised on Condensed Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) style farms, which refers to the number of animals confined in a defined space. These are colloquially called factory farms.

Growing animals in these settings is necessary because there simply isn’t enough land to grow this many animals on “regenerative”-style farms. When we think of a farm, we imagine happy animals grazing in fields, eating grass and bugs. But the Earth simply isn’t big enough to support all the farm animals that we consume presently in this way.

So, some people can eat animals raised on “sustainable” or what we think of as old-fashioned family farms, like the one my parents run. Still, the vast majority of people either do not have access to those products or cannot afford them because, understandably, they tend to cost more than typical factory farm-raised grocery store animal products. Alternatively, we don’t have to eat animals at all, or we can drastically reduce the amount of animal-derived foods we consume.

One reference is the EAT-Lancet Commission (https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/). A group of world-renowned scientists gathered to study a sustainable diet for 10 billion people, a number we are approaching in the coming decades. The commission promotes greatly increasing our reliance on plant-based foods for improved health and lists how much dairy, eggs, and meat of various kinds can be consumed by all 10 billion people in a diet that meets all nutritional needs. The amounts are much less than people typically consume in the modern diet.

I am endlessly grateful to have a choice about what I eat and the ability to learn what’s best for my body. I hope this post offers a few points to consider, which may lead you to read more about the topics and get your mind around some of the numbers. There is so much information available it can be overwhelming. In overwhelming situations, we tend to shut down and go with our default mode, going with what feels comfortable. Consider allowing a little discomfort to learn about our global nutritional needs in the interest of a healthy planet. Explore, question, and discover more about the privilege of food choice and its impact on our planet.

What do you know about how food gets from point A to point B? Does that impact your food choices?

*As always, this website and blog information is not medical advice. Please consult your medical professional if you are changing your health behaviors, including starting a new diet or exercise program.