The impact of the dairy and meat industry on the world and its ecosystems is hard to overstate. In Australia, the agriculture sector produces 84 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year, most of which is a result of methane production by cattle and sheep (Department of Agriculture, 2014). Livestock also put strain on water sources with almost one third of freshwater globally being used for animal products (Gerbens-Leenes et al., 2013). Furthermore, the livestock industry is a leading cause for deforestation and land degradation. 80% of deforestation in the Amazon is a result of arigcultrual clearing which then provides the vast areas required for livestock food production and grazing (Nepstad et al., 2008). This leads to habitat destruction, land erosion and less carbon sequestering forests. While health conditions and access issues may mean that cutting out meat and dairy sources is not appropriate, the more we can reduce the reliance on the livestock industry the less it will weigh upon our environment. As such, I will be taking one step to cut out my meat and dairy consumption.
SDG 13: Climate action
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