BBC: Producing meat helps to cause environment problems and world hunger

[PlanetNews]

Hungry world 'must eat less meat'

By Alex Kirby
BBC News Online environment correspondent


Livestock needs a lot of water

World water supplies will not be enough for our descendants to enjoy the sort of diet the West eats now, experts say.
The World Water Week in Stockholm will be told the growth in demand for meat and dairy products is unsustainable.

Animals need much more water than grain to produce the same amount of food, and ending malnutrition and feeding even more mouths will take still more water.

Scientists say the world will have to change its consumption patterns to have any realistic hope of feeding itself.

Losing the race

The World Water Week conference is held annually in the Swedish capital, and is organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute, Siwi. This year's runs from 15 to 21 August.

It's going to be almost impossible to feed future generations the kind of diet we have now in western Europe and North America

Anders Berntell, Stockholm International Water Institute
Siwi says: "With about 840 million people undernourished or lacking a secure food supply today, and another two billion or more people... by 2025, feeding the world's growing population - and finding the water to grow the food - continues to be a basic and sizeable challenge."

A paper to be delivered during the conference, entitled Water: More Nutrition Per Drop, says: "For several decades, the increase in food production has outpaced population growth. Now much of the world is simply running out of water for more production... "

The World Health Organisation calls malnutrition "the silent emergency", and says it is a factor in at least half the 10.4 million child deaths which occur every year.


Grain goes far to feed the world
Anders Berntell, Siwi's executive director, told BBC News Online: "The basic problem is that food is the main global consumer of water, with irrigation taking 70% or more of all the water we use, apart from huge volumes of rainwater.

"The bottom line is that we've got to do something to reduce the amount of water we devote to growing food today.

Upturn in demand

"Animals fed on grain, and also those which rely on grazing, need far more water than grain crops.

WATER AND FOOD
A kilogram of grain-fed beef needs at least 15 cubic metres of water
A kilo of lamb from a sheep fed on grass needs 10 cubic metres
A kilo of cereals needs from 0.4 to 3 cubic metres
"But in the developed world, and in parts of some developing countries, consumers are demanding more meat.

"Of course people should have healthier diets and a higher intake of nutrients: we don't want to stop that.

Slow to dawn

"But it's going to be almost impossible to feed future generations the kind of diet we have now in western Europe and North America.


Meat is a treat for the rich
"Most of us don't appreciate, either politically or personally, the challenge of finding enough water to grow enough food, though in some countries it's a problem of everyday living.

"I think the world's future water supply is a problem that's an entire order of magnitude greater than we've begun to realise."

Mr Berntell said the rich would be able to buy their way out of trouble by importing "virtual water" - the water needed to grow the food they bought from abroad.

He said: "The transport of virtual water is huge. Australians were astonished to find that although their country is short of water, they're net exporters of water in the form of meat."



SOURCE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3559542.stm




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Vegetarian Diets
By the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada

June 2003 (Vol. 103, Issue 6, Pages 748-765)

Also see the accompanying article "A new food guide for North American vegetarians." To receive a hard copy of this article, please send your request along with your name and mailing address or fax number to [email protected]. You can also view the article on the Dietitians of Canada Web site at: www.dietitians.ca/news/downloads/Vegeta ... for_NA.pdf.

Abstract
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Approximately 2.5% of adults in the United States and 4% of adults in Canada follow vegetarian diets. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat, fish or fowl. Interest in vegetarianism appears to be increasing, with many restaurants and college foodservices offering vegetarian meals routinely. Substantial growth in sales of foods attractive to vegetarians has occurred, and these foods appear in many supermarkets. This position paper reviews the current scientific data related to key nutrients for vegetarians, including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids and iodine. A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, use of fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in meeting recommendations for individual nutrients. Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. Although a number of federally funded and institutional feeding programs can accommodate vegetarians, few have foods suitable for vegans at this time. Because of the variability of dietary practices among vegetarians, individual assessment of dietary intakes of vegetarians is required. Dietetics professionals have a responsibility to support and encourage those who express an interest in consuming a vegetarian diet. They can play key roles in educating vegetarian clients about food sources of specific nutrients, food purchase and preparation, and any dietary modifications that may be necessary to meet individual needs. Menu planning for vegetarians can be simplified by use of a food guide that specifies food groups and serving sizes.


PDF Version (non-printable)
SOURCE: http://eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs ... U_HTML.htm

[casadiscaes]

Tretas... o cálculo da água necessário para a produção dos alimentos é tudo menos imparcial... enquanto que para a produção do quilograma de proteina vegetal é tudo levado em conta, desde a pluviosidade média anual, a evapotranspiração, a temperatura média e todos os factores que podem ter influência no ciclo da água, ou seja, é considerado um sistema exógeno... na carne é o oposto, é considerado um sistema fechado ou endógeno, água que entra acham que não sai... uma vaca não sua, defecta, urina ou perde qualquer tipo de líquidos, mesmo a água utilizada para lavar instalações é contabilizada como perda... com "objectividade" dessa... é preciso ser crente para acreditar neste disparate... se têm dúvidas, aconselho a consulta do "Water footprints of nations" da UNESCO-IHE - Institute for Water Education... tretas...