According to research firm GlobalData, only 1% consumers claimed to be vegan in 2014. In 2017, that number rose to 6% (in the US). PHOTO: Wianda Gilliland
Veganism is fast gaining popularity, with many people converting to the diet, believing it is the most environmentally-friendly diet. However, according to recent studies and a module taught at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Sustainability Institute (SI), this is not the case.
According to research conducted by European food production professor, Imke de Boer, who presented her findings at the 2018 European Federation for Animal Science (EAAP), animals have an important role in the sustainability of future food systems.
Imke De Boer’s presentation at the Annual Meeting of EAAP in Dubrovnik in 2018 explaining the role of animals in food systems. VIDEO: YouTube
The EAAP, which is an international non-governmental organisation, operates to improve the farming of domestic animals and allows for the collaboration between scientists, researchers, and farmers.
De Boer’s findings were incorporated into a module taught by Candice Kelly at the SI which focuses on the sustainability of food production.
According to Tanya Cloete (23), student at the SI, the module provides different perspectives on the sustainability of food production. Therefore this specific view on the vegan diet is only one of many.
“The module addresses the issue of overpopulation and the fact that ensuring the sustainability of our food systems is the easiest way to prevent the deterioration of health and standard of living in the future,” Cloete explains.
A protest against climate change in Copenhagen in 2009 in favour of going vegan. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons/Flickr
According to De Boer, a healthy planet is the pillar of sustainability. In addition to that, food production is currently responsible for one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock being the main culprits.
“Livestock farming does produce more greenhouse gasses than plant-based farming, but when considering other factors animals do have a role in food systems,” De Boer says at the EAAP Annual Meeting.
According to her, animals recycle the co-products of plant farming which are inedible to humans, and the leftover biomass would go to waste if animals were to be excluded.
She also explained that if animal food products are excluded from food systems, more arable (suitable for growing crops) land must be used to make up the deficit of protein, which could lead to increased rates of deforestation.
De Boer’s study focuses on maximising land use and reducing food waste, therefore increasing the sustainability potential of future food systems. Her findings pointed to a diet that is largely plant-based, but that includes 9-23 grams of protein from animal products per person per day. This is much lower than the current average amount.
De Boer also mentioned that decreasing the production and subsequent intake of animal products creates the opportunity for greater animal welfare and treating animals with respect. The ethics of livestock farming is also another reason for converting to a vegan diet.
MatieMedia spoke to students who are vegans to find out more about their lifestyle choices:
Darrian Marais, 21, BSc(Hons) Applied Mathematics
“It’s not so much a belief as it is a fact that plant-based diet has a lower environmental impact on the planet than a standard diet.“When you factor in that it takes an entire lifetime of feeding an animal (plants) to kill it so that we can eat it, you will always arise at a net loss of food output. However, one must factor in a few things; animal agriculture is always an unsustainable practice when the animals are being fed farmed crops, however, in places where the animals are grass-fed there is research suggesting that it can be done sustainably.
“The issue with that is that this process requires a lot of land, so be it sustainable it is still a huge threat to biodiversity as well as very unethical, and unnecessarily so.
“However, there are plenty of plant foods that are also taxing on the environment to produce, such as almonds. So, just because a food is plant-based or vegan does not mean it is sustainable or environmentally friendly. The majority of vegan foods one can buy are covered in single-use plastic which goes on to cause harm, and in my view is not vegan at all!”
Danel Gilbert, 22, BAcc(Hons)
“I follow a vegan diet because of ethical reasons. I don’t believe that any living creature should be treated or live the way the majority of livestock is forced to.
“I think the vegan diet is gaining popularity because people are becoming informed about the way that the animals are treated and the environmental effects of animal agriculture. I also think that people are becoming more conscious of what they put in their bodies.
“I truly hope that the vegan diet becomes a more standard lifestyle in society but I also think it is ignorant to say that everybody will become vegan, because it just won’t suit everybody. I think that in the future it will become very easy to be vegan, due to the huge demand for vegan food and products. So I would say I think the future looks bright”.
Zian Blignaut, 28, MA in Creative Writing
“I definitely believe that a vegan diet is more environmentally friendly. Animal agriculture is a massive contributor to greenhouse emissions, deforestation, waste and water use, which be reduced if we include less animals in our diet.
“I think veganism will continue to increase as people are getting more educated on the environmental and health benefits of the diet. In Stellenbosch itself I have already seen an increase of vegan options offered, but on a global scale, the increase in veganism is definitely evident. I think a consciousness around what we are consuming and the impact thereof is also way more important than everyone turning vegan overnight, even though that would be lovely.”