Khinkali dumplings had always been the signature dish at the contemporaneous ‘Nanouchka’ restaurant in the heart of Tel Aviv. A long-time favorite for many connoisseurs in the country, the restaurant was based purely on the rich Georgian cuisine. Also purely Georgian was the lively atmosphere: shots of vodka ‘on the house’ were offered to all guests upon being seated, as well as to anyone queuing up for a spot in the restaurant’s busy evening hours. While nothing had changed in the atmosphere throughout the three decades of the restaurant’s operations, the Khinkali’s have recently undergone a complete makeover. They used to contain meat and cheese; in 2014, the restaurant, like its owner, turned vegan[1].
Many speculations have emerged regarding the motives behind the radical, somewhat abrupt, shift in Nanouchka’s menu: some, including the owner herself, attribute it purely to a choice of ethics. Eating meat- or any animal products- is a sin to the animals and to the environment in today’s intensive animal farming world, they claim. Others spurn it as a fleeting gimmick designed to revitalize the restaurant’s eroded image. There is almost unanimous agreement on one thing, though: the transformation has been good for business, feeding on an increasingly rampant phenomenon that has swept the country in recent years. Tel Aviv, and to a large extent the country as a whole, has been swept by a vegan craze[2]. One of the primary reasons driving this phenomenon, alongside considerations of animal welfare and personal health, is the impact that the livestock industry has on the environment.
Israel has been conquered by the vegetarian and vegan cuisines. What used to be a trickle has become a full-blown stream: vegetarian and vegan restaurants have sprung up in every street corner; the sales of all leading milk producers have been steadily declining; and the number of vegetarians and vegans has reached a whopping 10% and 5% of the total population, respectively. Many debate the legitimacy of this phenomenon, writing it off as a passing fad fueled by self-righteous liberals. Anti-vegan social groups have emerged, disparagingly qualifying the growing community of grass-eaters as a cult. One thing is certain, though: eating grass is far more environmentally-friendly than having a steak.
The UN’s Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative (LEAD) determined in a 2006 report[3], that the livestock industry is one of the top contributors of today’s serious environmental issues. They identified four main factors in this study and what the implications are of them:
- Land Degradation
70% of what was previously the Amazon rainforest has been turned in to grazing land for pastures. On top of this, more than 20% of the worlds existing pastures have been degraded due to overgrazing (continuous grazing with no idle time for the grass to regrow and the soil to replenish nutrients).
- Atmosphere (Air pollution) & Climate Changes
The livestock sector is accountable for 24% of the greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is higher than the transportation industry at 14%[4]. Greenhouse gas emissions in this industry are caused by a) deforestation and land erosion, and b) methane gas & ammonia emitted from the livestock and its excretion waste.
- Water Degradation
Livestock accounts for over 8% of global human water use as well as polluting the water through its animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals used in the farming process. This industry also affects the replenishment of freshwater by compacting soil, reducing infiltration, degrading water banks and lowering water tables.
- Reduction of Biodiversity
Livestock account for around 20% of the animal biomass on our planet and take up more than 30% of the planet’s surface. This is true for both animals and plants. This is a result mainly due to the other three factors outlined above; land degradation, changes in air and water quality are threatening the ecosystems that enable a diverse range of species to thrive in.
More and more educated consumers in developed countries are turning to a greener, plant-based diet. Typically high purchase power individuals, these consumers’ behavior is driving businesses in the food industry to offer a greater variety of plant-based diets, up to the point- as in Nanouchka’s case- of eliminating animal products altogether.
On the other hand, LEAD has projected a global increase of livestock production due to the increase in demand from developing economies. Global production of meat was 229 million tons in 2000, projected to grow to 465 million tons in 2050. Milk consumption is expected to double within the same timeframe. If these projections are correct, this will mean further damage to our already over-pressured environment- and maybe send us to China to have a burger.
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[1] http://www.mouse.co.il/food/news/1.3267435
[2] http://fr.timesofisrael.com/les-israeliens-de-plus-en-plus-avides-de-regime-vegetalien/
[3] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , “Livestock’s Long Shadow” report, 2006, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/climatechange/doc/FAO%20report%20executive%20summary.pdf
[4] EPA Website, “Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data”, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data
More and more attention is being brought to animal agriculture and the detrimental effect it has on the environment. This post reminded me a lot of the documentary on Netflix “Cowspiracy.” I find it quite interesting that vegetarianism and veganism is gaining popularity even in parts of the world that traditionally rely heavily on meat as part of their diet. However, I wonder how much of this is a ‘fad’ and how long the trend will remain. Furthermore, despite the growing trend in veganism, the animal agriculture industry continues to grow year after year, what alternatives are there to slow the growth of this industry outside of veganism? Also, generally speaking veganism can be a quite expensive lifestyle. For less developed countries or societies with a large portion of the population of lower socio-economic status, is there a less expensive alternative to veganism?
Really interesting article, and really interesting comment by Tunuka. Especially regarding the last remark on the cost of a vegan diet, in many countries staples of vegan diets (veggies, grains, legumes…) are still remarkably cheaper than meat, fish and other animal products. For example it is estimated that in India 31% of the population is vegetarian (40% if we include those who consume eggs).
Really interesting article and issues. While less meat production is definitely part of a solution towards a more sustainable future in the different areas that you mention, I found this article to be quite interesting (and surprising). It states that the most “sustainable” diet for humanity (in terms of quantity of people fed) would be a dairy-friendly vegetarian diet (rather than vegan). The idea is that some areas on the planet are suitable for pasture/livestock but not for growing cereals/vegetables, so we should still use some of these. https://qz.com/749443/being-vegan-isnt-as-environmentally-friendly-as-you-think/.
Interesting read! I am surprised to know the livestock sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation industry. While I understand the benefits of being vegetarian, the transition from eating meat to grass may not be easy for some. I wish there are more initiatives from the restaurants or social groups to do promotions and assist during the transition period.