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Showing posts with the label deforestation

Soya: more harm than good?

Is its versatility speeding up deforestation? I gave up counting years ago how many times I'm asked 'what about the environmental impact of soya?' when people find out I'm a vegetarian. I understand why they ask- it's a hugely argued topic that just seems to cause more and more concern as we're encouraged to eat less and less meat. But if it's true that 90% of soya is used for animal production, then why are veggies and vegans always the first to get the blame? It's true- soybean production is on the rise. Since the 1950s, it has increased 15 times over. Even if you don't think you're eating it, you probably are. It's in the obvious like soy sauce, tofu and some veggie burgers. But it's also in a lot of everyday foods that we consume without even realising. Around 27% of vegetable oil is made from soya, and it's also commonly found in many household staple like bread, ice cream and cereal. According to WWF , soya production is t...

Veganism: more harm than good?

As veganism continues to rise in popularity, so does the amount of backlash claiming that going vegan isn't as good for the planet as people think. From avocados to coconuts, foods popular in vegan diets are now claimed to be causing serious harm to the environment. But what really is the truth?  Vegans eat more than just salad, right? So you've seen the news. Climate change is happening, and unless we start to significantly reduce carbon emissions, it's only going to get worse. More and more people are changing their lifestyles to reduce their individual carbon footprint, whether that's ditching flying, cutting down on plastic. One of the biggest ways people are doing their bit for the environment is by reducing meat and dairy intake. A University of Oxford study found that if everybody followed a plant-based diet, greenhouse gas emissions from food production would be reduced by 49%, and there would be a whopping 76% reduction in land use.   Early Bird...