Industrial farming, also known as factory farming, dominates livestock production within the United States. Ultimately, this means that nearly all of the meat, poultry and dairy products consumed in the U.S. comes from facilities where thousands of animals, such as cattle, pigs, and chickens, are kept within closely confined conditions. The operations that occur at these facilities pose serious pollution risks to our water resources and air. Although factory farming is not the only major concern in climate scientists’ minds, it definitely plays a major role in adding fuel to the fire.
Our passion for meat involves more than 60 billion land animals that require nearly half of all agricultural land for food and pasture. Livestock emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, are responsible for an estimated 18 to 20 percent of greenhouse gases annually, a source second only to fossil fuels. If you add to livestock all other food-related emissions—from farming to deforestation to food waste—what we eat turns out to be number one on the list of causes of climate change.
The fast-food industry has played a key role in the substantial growth in factory farming. “The industry’s enormous purchasing power and demand for vast amounts of cheap animal products are among the principal driving forces behind factory farming.” Thus, major corporations such as McDonald’s and Burger King are making huge profits selling fast food for reduced prices.
As climate change becomes a major topic of discussion in the news, people are becoming more knowledgeable about how they can help to combat climate change. Many people have focused on changing their eating habits to contribute to fight against the harmful effects mentioned above, leading many to join the plant-based movement. This movement comes with a backing of scientific research. For example, in 2016, the University of Oxford conducted a groundbreaking study modelling the climate benefits of a worldwide transition to plant-based diets between then and 2050. The study found that “Business-as-usual emissions could be reduced by as much as 70 percent through adopting a vegan diet and 63 percent for a vegetarian diet (which includes cheese, milk, and eggs).”
As this movement continues to grow, so do the sales of plant-based foods. “U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods have increased 11 percent from 2018 to 2019, hitting a plant-based market value to $4.5 billion.” This statistic, along with many others, has sparked interest in many corporations to join in and provide people with plant-based options. Some of these corporations include fast-food restaurants, such as Burger King and McDonalds. These restaurants are serving meatless burgers and sandwiches making plant-based options more mainstream for vegans and vegetarians.
Although it seems as if this would be a major win for plant-based eaters, it seems a bit ironic that these chains began to serve these foods. Many plant-based eaters still refuse to eat at these restaurants…but why? One vegan activist stated, “I have seen that these kinds of places are trying to appeal to people who don’t eat meat.” She continued, “McDonald’s is launching a new vegan meal, and Burger King has the Impossible Whopper. But for me, it’s not just about the components in the meal, it’s about the company I am buying from.” It all comes full circle. For every Impossible Whopper Burger King sells there are probably 25-50 (if not more) normal Whoppers being sold. These companies are still buying and using mass-produced meats from massive industrial facilities that are one of the main sources of the climate, and animal cruelty, problem. This means that, although these restaurants are trying to help bring a plant-based diet into the mainstream, they haven’t changed the real problem behind their industry.
Personally, I think it’s great that these restaurants are trying to persuade people to eat more plant-based foods. Would I, as an environmentally conscious plant-based eater, ever buy a plant-based burger from Burger King? Absolutely not. But I am also aware that their target market is not someone who decided to become plant-based for environmental or cruelty concerns. Ultimately, the fact that these restaurants are serving plant-based foods does not make up for the fact that they have played a major role in the climate problem. Until these restaurants make the decision to reduce their reliance on industrial farming practices, they will continue to be a major contributor to the climate crisis.
Sources:
- Pollution, A Greener World, https://agreenerworld.org/challenges-and-opportunities/environmental-pollution/?gclid=CjwKCAiA66_xBRBhEiwAhrMuLZpaGIqFJc7G2HU_mZRW3cDZukf86DnLac6_6-axSUdRSMoaoTPXRhoCBJIQAvD_BwE (last visited Jan. 25, 2020).
- Eating Plant-Based Diets Can Play a Huge Role In Limiting the Effects of Climate Change, Bioneers, https://bioneers.org/eating-plant-based-diets-can-play-huge-role-limiting-effects-climate-change-ze0z1709/ (last visited Jan. 25, 2020).
- Fast Food, Food Empowerment Project, https://foodispower.org/access-health/fast-food/ (last visited Jan. 25, 2020), citing Mark Hyman, Why Quick, Cheap Food Is Actually More Expensive, Huffington Post (Aug. 14, 2010, 8:41 AM, updated Dec. 6, 2017), http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-quick-cheap-food-is-a_b_681539.html?view=print.
- Lacey Bourassa, Vegan and Plant-Based Diet Statistics, Plant Proteins Co. (Dec. 10, 2019), https://plantproteins.co/vegan-plant-based-diet-statistics/.
- Maria Chiorando, 43% of Vegans ‘Would Never Eat At McDonald’s’, Says Poll, PBN (Dec. 20, 2019), https://www.plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/43-vegans-never-eat-mcdonalds-poll.