Myth # 64 : " But veganism will increase world hunger ."
Myth # 64 : " But veganism will increase world hunger ."
Actually , the probability is much higher that the exact opposite will come true ... The Worldwatch Institute ( a think-tank that analyzes interdisciplinary environmental data from around the world ) noted that meat consumption is a highly inefficient use of grain – grain which would be far better utilized if consumed directly by humans . Indeed , every day tens of thousands of children die from starvation , while roughly 50 % of the world ' s grain harvest and roughly 90 % of the world ' s soybean harvest is fed to meat & dairy livestock . On top of that , roughly 80 % of the world ' s starving children live in countries that actually have a grain surplus – a surplus that is exported to other lands to feed farmed animals .
Dr . W . Bello , director of the Institute for Food and Development Policy , affirmed this opinion when he noted that , " There is enough food in the world for everyone , and yet tragically , much of the world ’ s food and land resources are tied up in producing beef and other livestock – food for the well off – while millions of children and adults suffer from malnutrition and starvation ” ... Jean Ziegler , former member of the Swiss National Council added the disturbing fact that , “ Over 500,000 tons [ of the world ' s grain harvest ] are fed to cattle in rich nations – while 43,000 children die of hunger in the 122 Third World countries every single day ... I refuse to participate in this horrible mass murder any longer : eating no meat is the minimum I can do .”
Indeed , it takes roughly 16 pounds of grain to create only one pound of beef . As such , if we simply stopped wastefully funneling grains & soybeans through animals to feed the few , we would have more than enough plant-foods to feed everyone on the planet .
Current status of this Myth : Uprooted Justification it provides for eating animals : NONE
“ When I travel around the world , I see that poor countries sell their grain to the West while their own children starve in their arms . And we in the West go and feed it to livestock … Am I the only one who sees this as a crime ? Every morsel of meat we eat is a slap to the tearstained face of a starving child .”~ Philip Wollen
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