Environmental Impact of Animal Agriculture
Key Takeaways
The global food system accounts for 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock i.e. animals raised for meat, dairy, and eggs, and fisheries contribute the majority of these emissions.
Animal agriculture contributes to the overuse and degradation of precious resources such as habitable land and freshwater, as well as the clearing of millions of acres of forests, destroying habitats and leading species to extinction.
By adopting veganism, we can significantly reduce our negative environmental impact, and stop being complicit in the abhorrent treatment of animals by the animal agriculture industry.
The widespread consumption of animal products has become a major feature of cultures around the world. Although animal products such as meat and dairy have been a part of our diets ever since the domestication of animals thousands of years ago, their consumption has reached unprecedented levels with the advent of the modern animal agricultural industry.
Modern agriculture is one of the greatest drivers of environmental degradation on Earth. This harm manifests in multiple ways, such as an increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs), deforestation and destruction of ecosystems, the degradation of land and water resources, waste production, and species extinction.
Let’s explore the three main ways in which animal agriculture impacts the environment.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
People are generally aware of the fact that the transportation and energy sectors contribute significantly to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. However, most people do not realize that the modern agricultural industry is an even bigger contributor.
The global food system accounts for 26% of all GHG emissions, with livestock (animals raised for meat, dairy, and eggs) and fisheries contributing the majority.
Source: Our World in Data
What’s most concerning is that animal agriculture produces methane (mainly arising from livestock waste), which has a global warming potential that is 86 times that of CO2.
Deforestation and Animal Extinction
Cutting down trees for agricultural land is the biggest driver of deforestation around the world. Beef stands out as a significant cause, as the expansion of pasture land for cattle is responsible for 41% of global deforestation, which is about 2.1 million hectares annually – that’s almost half the size of the Netherlands.
Source: Our World in Data
This clearing of forests creates significant risks for numerous species as they lose their habitats. It is estimated that if current trends in agricultural expansion continue, around one million animal and plant species face the risk of extinction.
Overuse and Degradation of Resources
Animal agriculture contributes to the overuse and degradation of precious resources such as habitable land and freshwater. Half of all the world’s habitable land (land that is not covered by glaciers, deserts, beaches, dunes, dry salt flats, and exposed rocks) is used for agriculture, with 80% of it being used for raising livestock.
In terms of water usage, around 70% of global freshwater withdrawal is used by the agricultural sector. This contributes significantly to water stress, and it is estimated that around two-thirds of the global population could be living in countries facing water scarcity by 2025 if current consumption patterns persist, with the Muslim world being especially at risk.
Agriculture also contributes to the degradation of these precious resources. For example, agriculture leads to eutrophication, that is the pollution of waterways with excessive nutrients, which increases the toxicity of the water bodies and destruction of marine ecosystems.
Moving Forward: Towards a Muslim Vegan Lifestyle
This overconsumption of animal products goes against the spirit of Islam, and the way of the Prophet (SAW) and his loved ones. The Prophet (SAW) himself hardly ever ate meat [1], and even those nearest to him cautioned against its harm [2].
In light of the teachings of Islam, and the incredible damage that animal agriculture and its products are causing the world, it is vital that Muslims shift towards a vegan lifestyle. By going vegan, not only would we be able to massively cut down on our negative environmental impact, but we would also stop being complicit in the abhorrent treatment of animals by the animal agriculture industry (including the halal industry).
If you have any questions about the vegan lifestyle and Islam, see our Myth Busting section where we dispel misconceptions regarding Islam, veganism, and the environment.
[1] Aisha said to me, "O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent and then the crescent in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I said, "O my aunt! Then what used to sustain you?" `Aisha said, "The two black things: dates and water, our neighbors from Ansar had some Manarh and they used to present Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) some of their milk and he used to make us drink." (Bukhari, 2567)
[2] Yahya ibn Sa’id reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Beware of eating too much meat, for it can be as addictive as wine.” (Muwaṭṭa, 3450)
