What Would Happen if Everyone Turned Vegetarian?

From Mahatma Ghandi, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs, Linda McCartney and Ellen DeGeneres, there’s no shortage of famous vegetarians on the planet. That said, out of the world’s 7 billion people a very small portion refrain from eating meat. In the US alone the latest “Vegetarianism in America” study published by Vegetarian Times reported that just 3.2% of U.S. adults follow a vegetarian-based diet. It’s therefore safe to conclude that the entire planet had a sudden change of appetite, the world would undergo serious change.

While it seems unlikely to occur anytime soon, the question of “what would happen if everyone turned vegetarian” is a fascinating one. Interested in knowing more? Read on as we explore the potential aftermath of the world’s meat lovers replacing their omnivorous diets with strict vegetarianism.

An eco-friendly switch

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the meat industry poses as a huge threat to the environment. Overall it contributes 14.5% of human produced greenhouse gas emissions, with the number increasing as both the global population and the demand for meat grows. Back in 2009 Climate Change journal published research from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency claiming that is the world made the switch to vegetarianism agriculture related carbon emissions would drop by 17% by 2050. Furthermore, methane emissions would be slashed by 24% while nitrous oxide emissions would drop by 21%.

Slate associate editor L.V. Anderson says, "Universal eschewal of meat wouldn’t single-handedly stave off global warming, but it would go a long way toward mitigating climate change.”

A healthier world

When it comes to minimising antibiotic-resistant infections, vegetarianism is a fantastic lifestyle choice. By eliminating livestock meals the risk of contracting antibiotic-resistant infections would be significantly lessened.

The downsides

While global vegetarianism is a feel-good concept, researchers are also quick to highlight the downsides.  Socio-economic and agro-economic implications could offset the gains, with Henning Steinfeld, author of a UN environmental issues and opinions report titled Livestock’s Long Shadow explaining that the meat industry plays an inherent role in the global economy.  He reveals that livestock production accounts for 1.4 percent of the world’s total GDP, and that without it 1.3 billion jobs would be on the line.

While there are upsides and downsides, the fact that the world’s population is set to hit 9 billion by 2050 can’t be ignored. As 30% of the world’s land area is currently used for animal farming purposes, something’s got to give!

If the world makes the shift to vegetarianism, science will have to follow suit. ‘Testing Wheat Grain Authenticity with Fast, Non-destructive Multispectral Image Analysis’ analyses how multispectral imaging is gaining popularity as a rapid and non-destructive quality assessor for a wide range of products and materials, including food, pharmaceutical products and raw ingredients.