As the world watches in horror…take a moment to reflect on what the main reason for the long-term destruction of the Amazon rainforest is: it’s the world’s global demand for meat products. Brazil is home to around 200 million cows, and is the largest exporter in the world, supplying one quarter of the global beef market. The desire for new land for cattle farming has been the main driver of destruction of the Brazilian Amazon since the 1970s — and it’s worsening.
Scientists across the globe are now stating that the most practical solution people can adopt to help is to reduce – or stop – their meat intake.
Brazil remains the world’s number one beef exporter, accounting for nearly 20% of global exports, and still growing. As of 2018, Brazilian beef exports reached a record 1.6 million tonnes. As a result, 80% of Amazon forest destruction is due to cattle ranching.
The reality is that every meat-eater on the planet is helping to fuel the Amazon forest fires. Fact.
I’ve written extensively before about how research consistently shows that drastically reducing animal food intake and eating plant based foods is one of the most powerful things you can do to reduce your impact on the planet over your lifetime, in terms of energy required, land used, greenhouse gas emissions, water used and pollutants produced — but on this occasion, the world is needs to act quickly to ensure we are doing the right thing for the future of our planet, for our future generations, our children and grandchildren.
Let me be very clear. These are not wildfires, but rather fires set by people seeking to create more space for more cattle in order to export more meat to the rest of the world. Beef is one of the most destructive foods for our planet – and claims the lives of millions of cows every year. Just this month the UN declared that we must move away from consuming beef and instead adopt more plant-based diets if we are to fight climate catastrophe.
As you watch the news and witness the flames spread across South America, remember that eliminating meat is far bigger (in terms of impact) than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car. It is the demand for animal products that are responsible for so much of this.
It’s time to cut the Amazon out of your diet completely, and protect our Earth’s lungs before it’s too late…some scientists suggest it already is.
* The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92
