Myth # 36 : " But vegan crops cause deforestation ."
Myth # 36 : " But vegan crops cause deforestation ."
Actually , quite the opposite is true , as the primary driving force behind global deforestation is animal agriculture . Indeed , we humans are cutting down approximately one acre of Amazonian rainforest per second every single day right now ( and over 260 million acres have already been razed in the United States as well ), and the main reason behind this massive destruction of our woodlands is meat & dairy products : leveling forests to provide grazing land for cattle or growing soybeans , over 70 percent of which go to feed imprisoned chickens , cows , pigs , and factory-farmed fish .
As such , if we were to adopt a vegan lifestyle , there would be a commensurate reduction of grazing farmed animals , and therefore that much more land available for growing vegan crops ; crops that produce far more food per acre than animals do currently . 60 % of the world ' s usable farmland is being stripped and destroyed by livestock – all to produce an incredibly inefficient amount of food ( food that has also been proven to be extremely unhealthy for human consumption ). A single acre of grazing land currently produces 250 pounds of beef . In contrast , that same acre could be producing 40,000 pounds of potatoes , 30,000 pounds of carrots , or 50,000 pounds of tomatoes … Think about it .
Current status of this Myth : Demolished Justification it provides for eating animals : NONE
“ When you cut down a forest , an ancient forest in particular , you are not just removing a lot of big trees and a few birds flitting about in its canopy . You are also drastically imperiling a vast array of species living within several miles of it … The trees are truly mankind ’ s best friends , but so far we have treated them like our worst enemies . The recent history of our species may properly be said to be the history of our war upon the trees . But while it might seem like we have been crowned the winner of this battle , our victories have only brought us a great and final disaster .” ~ inspired by Edward Wilson & Nathanial Egleston
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