{"id":1265,"date":"2016-06-17T15:26:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-17T15:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/uncategorized\/1265\/take-the-better-eating-challenge\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T08:23:32","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:23:32","slug":"take-the-better-eating-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/blogs\/1265\/take-the-better-eating-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Take the better eating challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s back! Today is\u00a0#WorldMeatFreeDay,<\/a>\u00a0a great time to\u00a0think about how the everyday choices we make about the food we eat can<\/a>\u00a0impact our health and the health of the planet.<\/p>\n

From\u00a0deforestation<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0water pollution<\/a>\u00a0and climate change, the mark that\u00a0industrial animal agriculture<\/a>\u00a0leaves on the environment is huge.<\/p>\n

Globally, livestock production is responsible for around\u00a014% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 that\u2019s about the same as emissions from all road vehicles on the planet.<\/p>\n

Animal agriculture is the largest source of the most powerful greenhouse gasses: methane and nitrous oxide. On top of that, growing crops for animal feed, especially soy, results in thedeforestation of rainforests<\/a>, releasing yet more CO2.<\/p>\n

\"Cattle<\/p>\n

There is\u00a0now overwhelming evidence<\/a>, that we can\u2019t possibly avoid catastrophic climate change if we don\u2019t address the impact of high levels of meat consumption. We are already living beyond our planetary means. Feeding a growing and more affluent global population of at least nine billion by 2050 simply isn\u2019t possible unless we make some changes.<\/p>\n

We need a \u201cless is better\u201d approach to meat eating. That\u2019s where World Meat Free Day can make a difference; by raising awareness of how simple, small changes can start to have a positive global influence. The\u00a0World Meat Free Day<\/a>\u00a0website has a\u00a0sustainability calculator<\/a>\u00a0that shows how meat-free meals can have an immediate impact on carbon emissions and water usage.<\/p>\n

If 10,000 people go meat free for just one day, they save:<\/p>\n