A scientific journal article published in 2018 contained compelling scientific evidence that eating a plant-based diet, which excludes meat and animal products, is better for the environment.

The study, Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers, conducted by Joesph Poore & Thomas Nemecek, gathered data on the environmental impacts of food produced on farms (primary producers of meat, fish, grains, fruit & vegetables), processors (food manufacturers and processing plants), food packaging plants and retailers.

Research Article Abstract

“Food’s environmental impacts are created by millions of diverse producers. To identify solutions that are effective under this heterogeneity, we consolidated data covering five environmental indicators; 38,700 farms; and 1600 processors, packaging types, and retailers. Impact can vary 50-fold among producers of the same product, creating substantial mitigation opportunities. However, mitigation is complicated by trade-offs, multiple ways for producers to achieve low impacts, and interactions throughout the supply chain. Producers have limits on how far they can reduce impacts. Most strikingly, impacts of the lowest-impact animal products typically exceed those of vegetable substitutes, providing new evidence for the importance of dietary change. Cumulatively, our findings support an approach where producers monitor their own impacts, flexibly meet environmental targets by choosing from multiple practices, and communicate their impacts to consumers.”

Joesph Poore & Thomas Nemecek, Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers

Environmental Impact of Animal Agriculture

The production and consumption of meat and animal products is one of the largest causes of environmental damage on the planet at this time, and a major contributor to climate change. Human demand to eat meat and animal products is growing and creating unsustainable pressure on the planet.^{[1] [2]} If the world is to sustain feeding billions of people in the future, large numbers of individuals will need to change their attitude towards consumption and work through emotional addictions to eating meat and animal products.

The environmental impacts of current agricultural practices and the global expectation to eat animal products and use leather products ad libitum include: extensive land clearing for farming of livestock and stock feed, deforestation, erosion resulting from deforestation, eco-system destruction, loss of native animal habitat, pollution and depletion of waterways and groundwater, and environmental contamination from toxic fertilizers and pesticides.

Habitat loss is extensive and the top threat to Australian native fauna species.^[3] Human impact is causing mass extinction of plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and other creatures.^[4]

Soil health is depleted and, in some places such as deserts or areas that are now high in soil salinity, completely destroyed.^[5] Adding to this, the ability for soils to support life and environmentally recover in the way that God designed is becoming strained, as the natural seed bank is being rapidly destroyed or eaten away by livestock before it has time to germinate and complete its life cycle.

Irreversible damage is being caused by the amount of stock grazing intensively on land with soil and eco-systems which are already fragile from a history of being used in this way.

“Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.”

Henning Steinfeld, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
Chief of Livestock Information & Policy Branch and Senior Author of Livestock’s Long Shadow Report

God’s Way Ltd has purchased close to 1,000 acres of land previously used for grazing livestock and cropping. The organisation intends to demonstrate methods for environmental recovery on these properties.

Personal reflections from Eloisa

My education on how I was contributing to the environmental damage on the planet began with the teachings of Divine Truth: hearing the truth about the causes of environmental destruction and how to recover the environment and receiving personal feedback from Jesus (AJ Miller) & Mary (Mary Luck) about my addictions and the lack of love, ethics and morality I had in regards to producing meat and animal products for personal gain.

Having been part of a primary production business^[6] and observing humans and livestock actively destroying the environment, I have seen first hand how quickly eco-systems are damaged and what a long and expensive exercise (in time, effort, money & resources) it is to recover land that has undergone extensive destruction. Unfortunately most people’s desire and addictions to eating meat and animal products (as well as other foods that are in high demand and require intensive food production processes) causes them to overlook the spiritual, physical and emotional effects of this on their soul, bodies and the environment. Because environmental destruction has occurred repeatedly over many years, what we now see as normal or even healthy, is in fact a severely degraded landscape.

For the possibility of change to occur in the world, it is going to require education and courage to scientifically investigate and share the truth of what is happening to the environment and the real causes of environmental damage. It is up to each individual to choose whether or not they will make the soul-based emotional changes necessary, and then take actions to begin to reverse the damage to the environment that has been created by many generations of humans.

We need to make an attitude shift in order to become sensitive to what is truly happening in the environment and to stop destroying and taking from the land. Farmers, producers and corporations are often blamed for what is happening, but consumers who demand that their addiction to meat and animal products be fulfilled create the world’s current food supply industry. As a result consumers bear a great responsibility for the environmental destruction currently taking place all over the world.

References

1. Steinfeld et al. 2006. Livestock’s Long Shadow. pp. iii, xx
2. Bailey et al. 2014. Livestock – Climate Change’s Forgotten Sector
3. Whintle & Bekessy. 2017. Habitat loss is the top threat to Australia’s species. October 17. The Conversation. [Accessed January 16, 2020]
4. Halting the Extinction Crisis. Centre for Biological Diversity. [Accessed January 16, 2020]
5. Steinfeld et al. 2006. Livestock’s Long Shadow, pp. xxi-xxiii
6. Lytton-Hitchens, E. 2015. Sheep. February 17. Dear God [Blog]. [Accessed February 11, 2020]

Further Reading & Viewing

Divine Truth Environmental Resources

Introduction to Environmental Recovery by Jesus: 1 2 3
Creating Loving Eco Systems – An Introduction by Jesus: 1 2
Creating Loving Eco Systems – Audio Lessons by Jesus: Intro 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Making Soul-Based Change Playlist
Environment Playlist
Presentations that mention Meat Eating

Other Resources

Rebgetz, L. 2017. Land clearing rates in Queensland on par with Brazil, new study finds. June 19. ABC News. [Accessed January 16, 2020]