Join Our Plastic Free July Challenge

We challenge you to stop eating meat for one week  

There’s no doubt that there are a lot of things wrong with the meat industry. The meat industry has a massive impact on our health and environment, and is also the biggest sector in many countries’ food industry. The numbers are shocking: Globally, approximately 337,2 million tonnes of meat were produced in 2020 (Source: Destatis), and the European Union is one of the top 3 producers of beef in the world (next to the U.S. and Brazil, even outnumbering China). 

If you want to stand up and act against climate change, eating less (or no) meat is something you can do. About 40 % of greenhouse gas emissions derived from agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes. Unfortunately, it appears to be a long way to convince politicians and individuals to reflect the long-term consequences of their behavior. 

This year’s Plastic Free July campaign motivates us to raise awareness about meat production, meat consumption and the impact it has on our planet. To be even more specific about how eating meat actually affects our planet, I’ve collected a few bullet points for you that you might also need in order to convince a friend or a relative to opt in for this week’s challenge! 

– Land

Natural vegetation is being turned into pastureland and monocultures to support an unsustainable form of livestock production. Consequences above many are drought, desertification (animals and crops require insane amounts of water) and conflict over land. 

– Feed

More than one-third of all crops worldwide end up in the stomachs of livestock. That includes one billion tonnes a year of soybeans and maize alone. The climate footprint of the animals and the feed they need is significant. 

– Pesticides

Pesticide applications are on the rise across the globe. Some of the most dangerous substances have been banned in the EU, but are still being used on a large scale in other parts of the world. 

– Animal Welfare

Last but not least, other than the drastic ecological aspects meat consumption has, animal welfare is a huge aspect to take into account, too. 

This is just the very very basics of what is wrong with our meat industry. There is so much more to it, for example the outbreak of diseases just like Covid-19 has shown us. It’s never been more important to educate ourselves about climate change and what causes it, as well as sharing the knowledge we have with ours. Just go ahead and google any question you have, information is so easily accessible! If you’re too lazy to read, simply click on “images” and you will find thousands of great graphics that visualize complex situations. 

Also, you can find more facts and figures about the animals we eat here: https://eu.boell.org/en/MeatAtlas (A page I really enjoyed reading). 

I am curious: Did you already stop eating meat, and why? Tell me about it in the comment section! 

Don’t forget to sign up for our challenge below, as we’re donating €1 to Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, an environmental protection organization based in Hawaii, for everyone joining our challenge. Together we can make a difference and greet tomorrow with “Aloha”.

This way: 

https://purelei.com/pages/purelei-aloha-challenge 

Lauri