The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the foremost intergovernmental organization for classifying carcinogenic substances.

In late 2015, 20 scientists from 10 countries reviewed over 800 studies on behalf of the IARC, comparing cancer risk and meat consumption. Among other damning findings, processed meats were officially given Group 1 status, indicating the highest degree of evidence for causing cancer in humans.olor intro with an image on the right side.

This meme is part of a series, each presenting different collections of Group 1 carcinogens side-by-side. You can find in-depth research on this meme, and many others, on our General Research page. 

Calorie-for-calorie, many plant-sourced foods have the same or greater protein content than foods from animal sources.

The average American consumes about twice the USDA recommended amount of protein, and far too many calories. Because they are high in micronutrients and fiber, plant-sourced foods represent an ideal way to satisfy hunger and protein requirements without excessive calorie intake.

Food-specific protein, cholesterol, and mineral contents were calculated from the USDA Food Composition Database.

This meme is part of a series, each comparing different animal- and plant-sourced foods. For more in-depth research on veganism and health, visit our General Research page.

Agriculture consumes almost 90% of US fresh water. The gross imbalance dedicated to livestock arises because farm animals require so much grain and forage to reach “market” weight—this livestock feed, of course, demands much irrigation.

Global fresh-water consumptive averages for one pound of beef is 1,875 gallons. Soy-based burger requires about 126 gallons of fresh water per pound.

Detailed life-cycle analyses have consistently demonstrated the benefits of reducing the consumption of animal-sourced foods, with humans consuming plant-based foods directly. For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page. 

Agriculture consumes almost 90% of US fresh water. The gross imbalance dedicated to livestock arises because farm animals require so much grain and forage to reach “market” weight—this livestock feed, of course, demands much irrigation.

Global fresh-water consumptive averages for one gallon of 2% milk is 1,000 gallons. Soy-based milk requires about 297 gallons of fresh water.  

Detailed life-cycle analyses have consistently demonstrated the benefits of reducing the consumption of animal-sourced foods, with humans consuming plant-based foods directly. For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

Agriculture consumes almost 90% of US fresh water. The gross imbalance dedicated to livestock arises because farm animals require so much grain and forage to reach “market” weight—this livestock feed, of course, demands much irrigation.

Global fresh-water consumptive averages for one dozen eggs is 500 gallons. The average American shower uses 17.2 gallons.

Detailed life-cycle analyses have consistently demonstrated the benefits of reducing the consumption of animal-sourced foods, with humans consuming plant-based foods directly. For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

This meme presents easily obtainable reductions for vegans. We use conservative numbers from peer-reviewed research and government databases; many estimates are much higher than those used here. 

Feeding vegans requires about 2 acres less land per year.

The vegan diet requires an average of 500 fewer gallons of water per day.

Per vegan per day, a relative surplus of ~3.5 lbs of grains/cereals results from the recovered farm-animal feed.

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

The widely cited UN FAO report on the environmental cost of animal agriculture was the first to popularize the statistic that livestock production accounts for ~18% of GHG emissions, which is more than the entire transportation sector. More recent studies put the figure at ≥51%. 

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

The land required for raising livestock, and to a greater extent growing livestock feed, has resulted in the wholesale devastation of the earth’s tropical rainforests. The World Bank estimates that 91% of cleared Amazonian rainforest is currently occupied by livestock and their feed (greater than 75% is the conservative estimate). 

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

Animal-sourced foods present a dismal food conversion ratio. If humans consumed a plant-based diet, we could feed the planet’s 780M starving people multiple times over.

This meme presents statistics directly from the USDA’s most recently completed report. 

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

In this meme, the link between animal feed and environmental waste is once again front and center; there is a great disparity in the amount of land used to feed animals and the amount of animal-sourced food recovered for human consumption.

Average yield per acre for tomatoes and potatoes is 80K and 42K lbs, respectively; for beef, the average yield is less than 300 lbs/acre. 

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

The average Holstein weighs in at 1,500 lbs and produces about 120 lbs of manure per day; thus, a dairy farm with 2,500 head of cattle produces as much “waste” as a city with 411,000 residents. 

For more in-depth research on diet and the environment, visit our General Research page.

Like all mammals, female cows must give birth to produce milk. Because her milk will be collected for human consumption, her calf is taken away at birth. Male calves have no use to the dairy industry, and are sent away for a young slaughter. 

For more in-depth research on the ethics of animal farming, visit our General Research page. 

Increased concern over farm-animal treatment has led to designations such as cage-free, free-range, and humane. Many consumers might be surprised to learn that these labels carry little or no legal definition or enforcement.

For more in-depth research on the ethics of animal farming, visit our General Research page.

Because they cannot lay eggs, male chicks born into the egg industry are killed within 72 hours.

Links:
200M ground alive annually in the US;
180M ground alive annually in India;
42 million culled annually in Germany;
“Millions” annually in the UK.

For more in-depth research on the ethics of animal farming, visit our General Research page.