From water usage to carbon emissions - see exactly how much impact switching to plant-based meals has on the planet.
Every meal is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. The environmental data on animal agriculture is staggering, and the difference a single person can make by switching to plant-based eating is more significant than most people realize.
Carbon Footprint Per Kilogram of Food
- Beef: 60 kg CO2e
- Lamb: 24 kg CO2e
- Cheese: 21 kg CO2e
- Pork: 7 kg CO2e
- Chicken: 6 kg CO2e
- Eggs: 4.5 kg CO2e
- Tofu: 2 kg CO2e
- Lentils: 0.9 kg CO2e
- Beans: 0.8 kg CO2e
Water Usage
Producing 1 kg of:
- Beef requires 15,400 liters of water
- Cheese requires 5,000 liters
- Chicken requires 4,300 liters
- Tofu requires 2,500 liters
- Lentils require 1,250 liters
Land Use
Animal agriculture uses 77% of global agricultural land but produces only 18% of global calories. If we shifted to plant-based agriculture, we could feed the world's population on a fraction of the land currently used.
What One Person Can Do
By going vegan for one year, a single person saves approximately:
- 401,500 gallons of water
- 14,600 pounds of grain
- 7,300 pounds of CO2
- 913 square feet of forest
- 365 animal lives
The Ripple Effect
When you choose a plant-based meal, you're not just reducing your own footprint. You're:
- Creating market demand for sustainable products
- Influencing the people around you (studies show social influence is the #1 driver of dietary change)
- Supporting farmers transitioning to plant crops
- Reducing pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity
Every meal matters. Every choice counts. And it's never been easier - or more delicious - to eat in alignment with your values.
Data sources: Our World in Data, Water Footprint Network, FAO, Poore & Nemecek (2018)
Content by IRPR Media — the editorial team behind Komo Comfort Foods.
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