Eat Less Meat

Unfortunately, a cow takes many resources to grow, including land and water. According to Water Footprint Network and other scientific studies over 2,500 gallons of water are used to produce one pound of beef, compared to 477 gallons to produce one pound of eggs. Approximately two to five acres of land are used for each cow. They also release methane, which warms the atmosphere more than CO2 emissions.

Buy meat from sustainable and local sources. Buy pasture-raised meat because better sustainable practices are used to grow them, and it is more humane to the cows. The cheap meat industry is a huge issue in the world. Forests are cut and burned down to make space for grazing cattle or to grow cheap feed for cattle. Do not support the cheap meat industry, such as fast food. Buying better, more sustainable meat certainly costs more because the unsustainable feed-lot type meat is damaging our environment. If you eat less meat overall, you will save money for the extra cost to eat meat. I’m not saying to go vegan, just that the less meat you can eat, the better. Enjoy a nice steak every once in a while if you like it. Eat a small amount and not too often. If you can, don’t eat meat at all.

Keep in mind that animals are important for regenerative farming practices. Animals can be used to eat weeds and cover crops, and their poop is amazing natural fertilizer. Our natural ecosystem has animals and plants, and they work together to support a circular system. So, we should not remove animals from our food system—in fact, we need them to grow food in a sustainable way.