Database on food systems updated with statistics on water, methane, food security and soya 

ProVeg International’s Food System Data website includes even more essential information for journalists, campaigners and researchers

ProVeg International has updated its scientific database, Food System Data, with new sections on the impact of food production on water use, methane emissions, food security and soya.

The database is designed to deliver the most credible figures around the food system, food system change, and the transition towards plant-rich diets.

The new section on water shows that the production of animal-based foods generally requires more water compared to plant-based foods and meat alternatives.

However, this is not always the case. Depending on the region, some plant-based products, such as coffee or cocoa, as well as certain kinds of nuts, might also have high water footprints.

But taking that into account, the database does demonstrate that, on an individual level, moving towards plant-based diets can reduce your water footprint by 25 – 55%. ^{1, 2}

The new section on methane illustrates how this greenhouse gas is a key cause of climate change. Farm animals are responsible for 32% of global, human-made methane emissions.³

As methane is a short-lived greenhouse gas, reducing those emissions from animal agriculture is one of the quickest and most effective ways to mitigate or even drastically reduce global warming.⁴

Food security and soya

The section on food security shows that resilient food systems need crops that can withstand climate change as well as market disruptions. Shifting towards plant-rich diets and diverse crop production enhances sustainability and global food availability.

The section on soya shows how this protein-rich crop has a relatively small environmental footprint when consumed directly by humans in foods like tofu or soy milk. 

However, the vast majority of soya grown today is used to feed farmed animals. Because raising animals for meat is inherently inefficient – requiring large amounts of feed to produce relatively small amounts of food – enormous quantities of soy are consumed by farmed animals, causing considerable environmental degradation. 

ENDS

Footnotes

1. Harris, F., C. Moss, E. J. M. Joy, et al. (2019): The Water Footprint of Diets: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition doi:10.1093/advances/nmz091
2. Vanham, D., S. Comero, B. M. Gawlik, et al. (2018): The water footprint of different diets within European sub-national geographical entities. Nature Sustainability 1(9), 518–525. doi:10.1038/s41893-018-0133-x
3.  United Nations Environment Programme & Climate and Clean Air Coalition (2021): Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Mitigating Methane Emissions. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi
4. Nature (2021): Control methane to slow global warming — fast. Nature 596(7873), 461–461.
   

Notes to Editors

For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected].

About ProVeg International

ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.