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Once again, as is the case every time drought strikes
our country, water usage for food production becomes an
issue and fingers are pointed at the wrong culprit ("Rice
growing", Debate, The Advertiser 7/11/06).
While it’s true that rice growing may seem unsuitable for
our dry environment, a closer look at the impact of our
diet on our scarce water resources reveals a more worrying
truth.
The quantity of water necessary for growing rice pales
in comparison with that needed to produce animal-derived
foods, notably meat. According to the CSIRO it takes between
50,000 to 100,000 litres of water to produce one kilo of
beef, while to grow one kilo of rice requires only around
4% of that amount (1,550-2,000 litres), one kilo of wheat
715-750 litres, and one kilo of soybeans 1,650-2,200 litres.
With more than 52 billion animals (nearly eight times the
human population) raised and killed each year for food worldwide,
it is evident that the planet’s limited resources cannot
sustain two ever-growing populations – human and animal.
One of them has to go, and this implies humans moving down
the food chain.
In short, to provide one day’s food to a meat eater requires
about 15,000 litres of water, to a lacto-ovo vegetarian
about 4,500, and to a vegan (who eats no animal products)
about 1,000. Growing crops for direct human consumption
rather than cycling them through animals and then eating
their meat can provide a sustainable solution to the current
crisis in water usage for food production.
Habit, tradition and the misinformation peddled by an irresponsible
meat industry seem to be the main obstacles for a wider
adoption of a vegetarian diet, since a person can live and
be healthy without recurring to killing for food as shown
by millions of people around the world and by many great
thinkers through the ages. In the words of Albert Einstein
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances
of survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to
a vegetarian diet."
Vegetarian Action
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The Advertiser, 18 November 2006
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