So the world eats a lot of meat. In fact, consumption levels have doubled over the last 50-odd years to around 43 kg per person in 2014.
But Australians eat more than twice that, making us the biggest meat eaters in the world. A level way above the recommended amount.
So what’s so wrong with our meat obsession?
Well for starters, the animal livestock industry is taking up a lot of space. The area used for meat and dairy farming globally is about the same size as the US, China, Europe and Australia combined. And with a lot of land comes a lot of resources.
Take water as an example, more than 15-thousand litres of water is needed to make just one kilo of beef, compared to just 322 litres per kilo of fruit or veg. A recent European Commission study says if make the switch to vegetarianism, our ‘water footprint’ could be halved.
Also, animal production is emitting a lot of gas. “Direct livestock emissions” account for 10% of Australia’s overall greenhouse gas contributions. That’s mainly things like nitrous oxide - a gas released when the land can’t take in all the nutrients from fertilisers.
If eating less meat could help combat climate change, should Australia do its part by going vego?