As the calendar flips to January, so do our resolutions. This year, why not consider a delicious challenge with the potential to transform both your plate and the planet? Enter Veganuary – the global campaign encouraging plant-based exploration for the entire month. But beyond the buzzword, lies a powerful force for sustainability. Let’s delve into the reasons why Veganuary is more than just a trendy diet, but a sustainable step towards a greener future.
Table of Contents
How does Veganuary Spark Environmental Change
Choosing Land-Friendly Food
Animal agriculture demands a staggering amount of land compared to plant-based food production. Swapping your carnivorous cravings for plant-powered alternatives liberates precious acres, allowing ecosystems to breathe and biodiversity to flourish. A peer-reviewed study by Oxford’s population health professor Peter Scarborough highlights: compared to meat-heavy diets, vegan diets require 75% less land, and contribute to a remarkable 66% reduction in biodiversity loss.
Livestock’s Gaseous Greenhouse
Livestock farming generates a substantial quantity of greenhouse gases. Consequently, animal agriculture is accountable for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To provide perspective, this exceeds the combined emissions from all forms of transportation, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Opting for oat milk instead of dairy and substituting beans for bacon can markedly diminish your carbon footprint. Research indicates that adopting a vegan diet can result in a remarkable 50% reduction in carbon footprint compared to an omnivorous diet. Therefore, by participating in Veganuary, you are actively contributing to cooling down the planet, one bite at a time.
Saving water using plant based options
In contrast to plant-based alternatives, animal agriculture consumes significantly more water, requiring an average of 54% more. Transitioning to plant-based options aids in preserving this valuable resource, leading to a substantial reduction in our water footprint. Per ton of product, animal products typically exhibit a larger water footprint compared to crop products. This trend persists when examining the water footprint per calorie, with the average water footprint per calorie for beef being twenty times larger than that for cereals and starchy roots.
How tech can support you on your Veganuary journey
As you explore plant-based possibilities this January, Orbisk empowers you to navigate the path sustainably. Track your food waste, understand its impact, and optimise your choices. Gain insights into discarded items, right down to the ingredient level, regardless of whether they’re vegan or not. This capability empowers you to measure both animal- and plant-based products, providing the means to adjust your consumption as needed. With the potential to reduce food waste by up to 50%, this information becomes a valuable tool.
Armed with these insights, you can seamlessly close the loop from food waste to procurement, resulting in substantial cost savings and a positive environmental impact. Much like Veganuary, Orbisk has the potential to create a ripple effect, educating individuals on food waste and actively contributing to waste reduction. Together, these efforts guide us towards a more sustainable future.
