By Kris Cameron, ESRAG Plant-Rich Diet Task Force
Did you know: nearly 75% of global freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. The largest user of water in the U.S. is the cattle feed industry. Here is how our diet feeds pollution.
Run-off of contaminants like manure from Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs), as well as pesticides and fertilizers used to grow animal feed around the U.S. have contaminated 34,000 miles of U.S. rivers and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. This toxic runoff also causes eutrophication (growth of algae and oxygen depletion for living organisms) and has resulted in fouled beaches and dead zones along coastlines.
For more information about how what we eat impacts climate, the environment, and health, visit the Plant-Rich Diet Task Force webpage.