What if the world went vegan? A review of the impact on natural resources, climate change and economies

Contemporary knowledge and research around climate change has created a group of proponents who advocate for the global populace to become vegetarians as an adaptive means of curbing the menace of climate change. Agriculture, particularly livestock production has been blamed for massively contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some studies have proposed that avoiding meat in diets globally will account for a 28% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Some recent scientific studies however suggests that livestock production might be a lesser significant contributor to GHG emissions compared to earlier estimations. A paradigm shift in agricultural production and consumption is expected to have a direct effect on natural resources, biodiversity and economies. As some studies suggest, a solely plant-based production is not an ultimate solution as it may result in the loss of important animal genetic materials, increase pressure on land and water resources, particularly for highly perishable vegetable production as well as increase issues with agricultural crop waste. This ‘all eggs in one basket concept’ might also impact the global meat trade, changing the dynamics of some economies that are top animal product producers and risk food security in case of pest and disease pandemics. This review found out that, the plant-based revolution ideology, although still in the juvenile stages, will contribute immensely to reducing greenhouse gas emissions whilst the integrity of land and water resources may be compromised in the future. Agricultural policies have a big role in developing appropriate tools to safeguard food security, consumer preferences, provide environmental protection and allow a fair farmer income globally. This study employed descriptive analysis of earlier publications on the subject matter with production trends, a SWOT analysis and results on projections and relevant figures