Acharya Prashant explains that approximately half of the Earth's land area is used for agriculture. He highlights a startling fact: only twenty-three percent of this agricultural land is used to grow food directly for human consumption, such as grains, vegetables, and fruits. The remaining seventy-seven percent of agricultural land is dedicated to growing feed for animals that are slaughtered for meat. He points out that consuming meat is an extremely inefficient use of resources. For instance, to produce one kilogram of meat, an animal must consume ten to twenty kilograms of grain. This process also involves a massive consumption of water, which is a scarce resource globally. Acharya Prashant further argues that despite occupying seventy-seven percent of agricultural land, meat production only supplies eighteen percent of the world's calories and thirty-seven percent of its protein. In contrast, the small portion of land used for plant-based foods provides eighty-two percent of the world's calories and sixty-three percent of its protein. He challenges the common medical justification that meat is necessary for energy and protein, asserting that plant-based sources like lentils and grains are far more efficient and productive. He concludes that the resources consumed to produce meat could otherwise feed a vast number of impoverished people.
