"Envisioning a Vegans-Only World" Topic

"All of humanity could likely be well fed in the future without having to convert any more of Earth's forests to croplands, but there is a catch according to new research: we would all have to become vegans.

While that scenario is unlikely, the research indicates how much could be gained if meat lovers the world over replaced their steaks, burgers and other carnivore selections with more eco-friendly vegan fare.

"First of all, area demand for agriculture would be drastically reduced, as well as the need to intensify agriculture and to achieve high yields," lead author Karl-Heinz Erb of Vienna's Institute of Social Ecology told Discovery News. "This could allow for reduced encroachments into natural ecosystems — including forests, savannas and natural grasslands."…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Oh, Tango. Can you picture the Pampas, with cattle roaming freely, and no one to eat them? What would we do with our chimichurri?

I can see it now! gauchos in traditional garb riding herd on their soybean fields!

I'd like the large ribeye please.

I think like many great ideas on paper, there are a multitude of us intended consequences that come with it.

I hope it doesn't happen before this weekend, I have reservations at Rodizio Grill on Saturday.

Soylent Ribeye.

It's Soybeans!!!

To server Vegans.

(big smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Sorry won't happen. Artificial meat is just around the corner. Farms in high rises in inner cities will be common in the next couple of decades. There will become a time when cattle and pigs will be extinct except in petting zoos.

Hope to be dead at that time!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Become vegans, first consequence would be the extinction all food animals – who's going to keep them?

Second consequence all those who depend on food animals for a living will be out of work – including a lot of third world farmers for whom livestock are a higher value cash crop.

Third consequence an increase in the use of artificial fertilizers – the elimination of food animals means the loss of animal dung as a fertilizer. Incidentally, would probably increase erosion – animal dung provides a lot of fibrous material that binds the soil.

Fourthly, the probable loss of 'natural' grasslands to scrub – animals in well managed pastures result in good plant diversity.

Those are just immediate thoughts. Don't know whether any of them would actually be important, plus lots of other consequences out there. Done properly, animals for food is liable to be beneficial. The problems come with mono-cultures and reliance on limited numbers of species – and that includes plants. Most bananas are of a variety called the Cavendish. It's got a good chance of becoming extinct in the next decade…

Not happening, thankfully, at least in my lifetime.

I can hear the new slogan now, "Vegans, they're what's for dinner".

Garrison, I doubt that the wheatfields of the midwest are fertalised by dung.