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माँस खाया, या पृथ्वी को ही खा गए? || आचार्य प्रशांत के नीम लड्डू
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5 years ago
Meat Consumption
Land Use
Agriculture
Food Production
Environmental Impact
Vegetarianism
Resource Management
Livestock
Description

Acharya Prashant explains the distribution of land use for food production on Earth. He states that approximately half of the planet's land area is dedicated to agriculture. He then breaks down how this agricultural land is utilized, presenting a very interesting and thought-provoking fact. He asks the audience to consider what percentage of this agricultural land is used to grow food directly for human consumption. Using a chart for illustration, he reveals that only 23% of agricultural land is used for crops intended for direct human consumption, such as grains, vegetables, and fruits. The vast majority, the remaining 77%, is used for livestock and dairy. This land is used for grazing animals and for growing feed for these animals, which are then consumed by humans. He emphasizes that this means a human who eats meat is indirectly consuming a significantly larger amount of plant-based resources. For an animal to produce 1 kilogram of meat, it must first consume 10 to 20 kilograms of grain. Therefore, those who eat meat are not saving plants; in fact, they are responsible for a much greater consumption of them. Furthermore, Acharya Prashant points out the inefficiency of meat production in terms of nutritional output. The 77% of agricultural land used for livestock provides only 18% of the world's calories and just 37% of its protein. In contrast, the 23% of land used for plant-based foods supplies 82% of the world's calories and 63% of its protein. He also highlights the immense water consumption required to raise animals for meat, which is a critical issue given the world's water scarcity. He concludes that meat-eaters, who may think they are not eating plants, are actually placing a far greater burden on the Earth's resources, including land and water, compared to those who consume plants directly.