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New study shows vegan diets for pets massive win for the planet

New study shows vegan diets for pets massive win for the planet

Brand new research published in October 2023 has documented the massive environmental and animal life savings that could be made with changes to dog, cat, and human diets. To do this, researchers at Griffith University and the University of Winchester analysed multiple data groups, including dietary energy requirements within the US in 2020 and globally in 2018, US pet food ingredients, average livestock required to supply pet and human diets, and various environmental sustainability indicators for plant and animal-based foods.  


Before considering the environmental impacts of animal-based diets, researchers summarised the sheer overall numbers of animals killed for consumption by humans, cats, and dogs every year globally. In some instances, pet consumption of animals killed for meat was surprisingly high, such as in the US where dog food alone made up almost 18% of the relative consumption of average livestock animals. A further breakdown of the staggering numbers of animals killed for consumption in 2018 can be found below:

  • 75 billion poultry animals, of which 6.6 billion were used in dog and cat food
  • 1.5 billion pigs, of which 132 million were used in dog and cat food
  • 1 billion sheep and goats, of which 93 million were used in dog and cat food
  • 354 million cows, of which 31 million were used in dog and cat food
  • 727 million other land mammals, of which 65 million were used in dog and cat food
  • It is also estimated that billions of aquatic animals are killed for dog and cat food in the US alone

Through analysis of data on the environmental impact of different foods, the research paper then goes on to detail the potential relative environmental savings that could be made if humans, cats and dogs were switched to a plant-based diet:

 

  • Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) equivalent to land area/country if each relative group was switched to a plant-based diet:
    • Dogs = reduction in GHG equivalent to the entirety of the UK
    • Cats = reduction in GHG equivalent to New Zealand
    • Humans = reduction in GHG equivalent to the entirety of the EU

    • Relative land freed up equivalent to size of a country, if each group was switched to a plant-based diet:
      • Dogs = A land mass freed up larger than Mexico
      • Cats = A land mass freed up larger than Germany
      • Humans = A land mass freed up larger than both the entirety of India and Russia

     

    • Amount of freshwater saved equivalent to renewable freshwater per country, if each group was switched to a plant-based diet:
      • Dogs = Greater volume of freshwater saved than is present in Denmark
      • Cats = Greater volume of freshwater saved than is present in Jordan
      • Humans = Greater volume of freshwater saved than is present in Cuba

     

    • Additional people who could be fed using food energy savings equivalent to 2018 country populations, if each group was switched to a plant-based diet:
      • Dogs = Entire population of the EU
      • Cats = Entire population of the UK
      • Humans = Every nation or region on Earth

     

    While a 100% switch to plant based for people, cats and dogs would take some time, recent advances that brands such as Omni have made, are making it possible for changes to start today.


    Knight A (2023) The relative benefits for environmental sustainability of vegan diets for dogs, cats and people. PLOS ONE 18(10): e0291791. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291791

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