UN Study Details Environmental Need for Less Meat

The release of a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme titled Our Nutrient World says the developed world should eat less meat, calling for consumption to drop by at least half. “Unless action is taken, increases in pollution and per capita consumption of energy and animal products will exacerbate nutrient losses, pollution levels and land degradation, further threatening the quality of our water, air and soils, affecting climate and biodiversity,” warn researchers. Additionally, the report notes that chemical run-off from fertilizers and pesticides used in factory farming create dead zones in the sea, killing fish and spawning toxic algae. Mark Sutton, the study’s lead author, offers a solution: more people need to fill their plates with vegetables in place of meat.