Here, we take a closer look at honey, how and why bees make it, and the impact of its production on the ecosystem. And, 17 plant-based honey substitutes to try.

Jump to section:

• What is honey?
• Why do bees make it?
• Why is honey not vegan?
  – Do bees feel pain?
• Is honey production cruel?
  – Commercial crop pollination
• Bee population decline
• What to use instead of honey
  – Honey substitutes
  – Vegan honey brands

What is honey?

Honey is a thick sticky substance created by bees as a source of food. It’s mostly sugar, with fructose and glucose making up around 70 to 80 percent. Water makes up the rest (approximately 17 percent), alongside small amounts of pollen and minerals.

This nutritional profile gives honey a sweet taste, which has led humans to use it in a variety of food and beverages for centuries, including teas, cakes, and sauces. Honey is sometimes found in cosmetics and other beauty products, too.

How and why do bees make honey?

Bees feed on pollen and nectar, but honey is their single source of food during the winter months. Alison Benjamin, co-author of A World Without Bees and Good Bee: A Celebration Of Bees And How To Save Them, explains: “When there are no flowers or it’s too cold to get to them, the bees will starve.”

And so, bees collect nectar and pollen from flowering plants to make honey, which is then stored inside the hive for a rainy day (literally). “Nectar is the carbohydrates that fuel their flight. Pollen provides the protein they feed to their larvae so that they can develop into strong, healthy adult bees,” Benjamin explains.

A honeybee will visit up to 1,500 flowers to collect enough nectar to fill their stomach. When returning to the hive, the bee regurgitates and chews the nectar, turning it from complex to simple sugars.

They repeat this process thousands of times throughout the spring and summer. Yet a single bee produces just a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime – and every ounce is “fundamental” to their hive, according to the The Vegan Society. (Notably, it takes the pollination of two million flowers – and around 55,000 miles of bee flights – to produce a single pound of honey.)

“It is not an individual bee that the honey is feeding but the colony – made up of a queen and about 10,000 worker bees in the winter,” Benjamin explains.

How a beehive works

Beehives are highly organized communities centered around a “queen bee,” who is the sole fertile female in the colony and therefore responsible for laying all the eggs in the hive. These will predominantly be “worker bees,” who perform a wide range of tasks like tending to the developing larvae and regulating the hive’s temperature.

Inside the hive, bees use beeswax to create honeycomb, which houses the eggs and developing bees, alongside an inventory of honey and pollen. Bees construct the honeycomb in hexagonal cells to both maximize storage space and structural stability.

Why is honey not vegan?

Since honey production involves the use of non-human animals, it is not suitable for vegans. People following a vegan lifestyle avoid contributing to animal exploitation as much as is possible in a non-vegan world, meaning they do not use, consume, or wear products made with or using animals.

Just as cow’s milk is intended for calves, not cheese, bees create honey to sustain their colonies, not humans. The Vegan Society sums it up: “honey is made by bees for bees.”

Are bees sentient? Do they feel pain?

Compared to their mammalian peers, insects like bees often receive little concern from humans about their welfare. This is largely due to a lack of understanding about the animals and their sentience, including their ability to feel emotion and pain.

The latest research in the field suggests bees are indeed sentient, and experience a host of sophisticated emotions. In his 2023 book What a Bee Knows, entomologist Stephen Buchmann states that bees are “self-aware,” highly intelligent, and possess a “primitive form of consciousness.”

The Guardian reported on the book earlier this year, saying bees’ apparent ability to recognize different human faces, process long-term memories while sleeping, and feel optimistic, playful, and scared raises “complex ethical questions” about our treatment of them.

Similar concerns were sparked the year prior, when a study from the Queen Mary University of London concluded that bees feel pain, and make decisions about whether to suffer for food or not. Researchers said that the findings indicate humans have “an ethical obligation not to cause [bees] unnecessary suffering.”

Is honey production cruel?

Bees, of course, build hives and carry out their nectar and pollen routines naturally in the wild. But in order for humans to access their honey, and generate more, artificial ecosystems are used to supercharge the process.

This includes keeping queen bees confined in a filing cabinet-style structure, by using a piece of mesh that worker bees can pass through but she cannot, or clipping her wings. The structure contains horizontal sheets, where, because the queen bee is trapped nearby, the bees build their honeycomb. In the natural world, bees can shape their honeycomb around various surfaces and to fit different sized spaces.

To harvest the honey, beekeepers either smoke the bees to subdue them, or trap them with a clearing board over one or two days. Others kill the colony altogether.

Oftentimes, beekeepers replace the honey they remove with a sugar water substitute. This practice prompts honeybees to overwork themselves to replace the missing honey. Meanwhile, the sugar water lacks the nutrients, fats, and vitamins that bees need to be healthy.

PETA UK’s director, Elisa Allen, maintains that the honey industry “abuses bees for profit.”

“Many beekeepers use inhumane methods to ensure their own safety and to reach production quotas, including cutting off the queen bee’s wings so that she can’t leave the colony and killing drones to extract semen in order to inseminate the queen,” Allen explains. She adds that honey is “their fuel and their life’s work and rightly belongs to them, not us.”

Commercial crop pollination

Keeping beehives is “big business,” according to the USDA, and not just for honey production. Many commercial beekeepers hire out their honeybees to farmers for crop pollination. The hives are transported to various farms, sometimes thousands of miles apart, in hopes that the bees will pollinate the crops growing nearby.

Despite not being native to the US, honeybees now pollinate more than $15 billion worth of crops there every year, the USDA says. This has led the government agency to consider commercial honeybees alongside “livestock.” Yet a significant number of bees don’t survive the crop pollination process that it oversees. In fact, more bees die every year in the US than all other animals who are raised for food combined, including fish.

“In the US, large-scale beekeepers regularly report at least a third of their colonies die each year,” Benjamin says. Additionally, 2022 research found that honeybee lifespans are now 50 percent shorter than they were 50 years ago.

Benjamin warns that forcing bees to gather pollen and nectar from “vast swaths of a single crop deprives them of the far more diverse and nourishing diet provided by wild habitats.” Transferring the animals between locations also “continually boomerangs honeybees between times of plenty and borderline starvation,” she notes.

‘Bee milk’

Humans also use bees to make royal jelly, also called “bee milk.” The substance is similar to gelatin and is sometimes found in non-vegan cosmetics. It’s harvested from the glands of queen honeybees. Author Benjamin says this is the “most cruelly produced” bee-derived product as it can only be produced on an industrial scale by bees “treated purely as royal jelly machines.”

Why are bee populations declining?

There’s no doubt that bee species are struggling. Out of the 2,000 wild bee species in Europe, one in 10 is facing extinction, The Soil Association states. And globally, an estimated one in six bee species is regionally extinct, whilst more than 40 percent are vulnerable to extinction.

Outside of honey, various human behaviors and industries are driving bee populations down. The use of pesticides, especially the insecticide neonicotinoid, on crops for human and “livestock” consumption is thought to be a leading cause of falling bee populations.

In addition, habitat destruction and the worsening climate crisis is placing extreme pressure on bees and other insects.

What to use instead of honey?

There are lots of honey substitutes out there, including natural plant-based alternatives to keep in your kitchen and vegan honey products you can buy. In no particular order, here are 17 plant-based swaps for honey that are bee-free, but just as sweet as the real thing.

Plant-based honey substitutes

1. Maple syrup

Tapped from maple trees, maple syrup has a sweet, earthy flavor with hints of caramel and toffee. It’s perfect for drizzling on pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal, or as a sweetener in baking.

2. Date syrup

Dates are frequently used in cakes and sweet treats but they can also be made into syrup by soaking, boiling, and sieving. Date syrup has a rich, caramel-like sweetness and can used to sweeten smoothies, yogurt, energy bars, and desserts.

Biona makes an organic date syrup, or try your hand at making your own using Lazy Cat Kitchen’s recipe.

3. Agave nectar

Agave nectar comes from agave plants, which are succulents native to Mexico. It has a mild, neutral taste that works well in beverages, dressings, and as a substitute for honey in recipes. The syrup contains less glucose than refined sugars and is great way to sweeten a cup of tea.

The Groovy Food Company produces a wide range of agave nectars, with flavors like Blueberry, Cinnamon, Strawberry, and Vanilla.

4. Rice syrup

Rice syrup, also known as brown rice syrup and rice malt syrup, has a mildly sweet and slightly nutty taste. It’s made from whole grain brown rice, is gluten-free, and is sticky like maple syrup. Brown rice syrup is of Chinese origin, and is used in sweet and savory dishes alike.

5. Barley malt syrup

Like brown rice syrup, barley malt is the concentrated sweetener from whole grain barley. It has a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor. People often use it in breads, desserts, or to make malted drinks.

6. Coconut nectar

This nectar comes from the sap of coconut trees and has a gentle coconut flavor. Minimally processed, it is widely considered purer than syrups made from coconut sugar. It can be drizzled on pancakes, stirred into coffee, or made into glazes.

7. Molasses

A naturally rich source of plant-based iron, molasses is exceptionally sweet. It’s got a strong bite to it too, making its flavor distinct and slightly smoky. Use it in your favorite baking recipes, but ideally halve it with another more neutral sweetener like rice syrup or agave nectar. It works well in gingerbread cookies, dark bread, and barbecue sauces.

8. Sorghum syrup

Sorghum syrup is made from the grassy sorghum plant and resembles molasses. It has earthy tones, and can help add sweetness to baked goods.

9. Fruit syrups

Concentrated fruit syrups can work as honey substitutes in baking recipes. Or, mixed with maple for a sweet topping to your pancakes, waffles, or toast.

10. Raw sugar

Swapping out liquid honey with raw sugar in baked goods takes a bit of finessing but can be done. You typically just need to up your liquid content.

11. Applesauce

Applesauce provides natural sweetness and moisture for baked goods like muffins, cakes, and cookies. You can also use it as a spread.

Vegan honey brands

12. Herbivore’s Honi

The South Africa-based food brand and online store Herbivore sells its own vegan honey, called Honi. It’s free from preservatives and made with pressed apple juice, cane sugar, and lemon juice.

“Rest assured no bees were harmed in the making of this yummy honi,” the brand says.

Learn more about Herbivore here

13. Bee Free

This US-based vegan honey is organic and gluten-free. It’s made from apples, and can be used a substitute to bee honey, agave, and sugar, or as a smoothie base.

Learn more about Bee Free here

14. ULTxBEE via VeganDukan

Online food platform VeganDukan, based in India, brings together plant-based businesses to cater to “the increasing demand for ethical consumption.”

It stocks a vegan honey alternative from UltxBEE, which claims to spare more than 400 bees per bottle. UltxBEE makes it with apple juice and cane sugar, and says it works in everything from smoothies to teas to sandwiches.

Learn more about UltxBEE here

15. Bumble bloom

Montréal-based brand bumble bloom makes its vegan honey with organic cane sugar and apple juice. You can use it in all the ways you’d use bees’ honey, including sweet and savory dishes and drinks, in a 1:1 ration for conventional honey.

Learn more about bumble bloom here

16. Plant Based Artisan’s Honea

In the UK, food creator Plant Based Artisan sells a variety of vegan replacements for typically animal-derived foods.

Its Vegan Honea contains prebiotics, and is available in a variety of flavors such as Lavender, Rose, Thyme, Elderflower, and Orange Blossom. Plant Based Artisan also makes vegan caramel and “qurd.”

Learn more about Plant Based Artisan here

17. Mellody by MeliBio

MeliBio is behind what’s thought to be the world’s first vegan honey with the same molecular composition as bee-derived honey. Called Mellody, the company hopes the honey will replace its traditional counterpart across various categories, including food, beverages, and personal care products.

Mellody is gluten-free and, like honey, is made with fructose and glucose. The brand says the end result tastes and performs just like bee honey.

Learn more about Mellody here. Listen to MeliBio’s founder speak about the future of honey on the Plant Based News podcast below

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More like this:

• Bee Populations Are Declining, Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help
• What Is Gelatin, And Why Isn’t It Suitable For Vegans?
• Is Sugar Vegan? The Ongoing Debate Explained

The post Is Honey Vegan? How And Why Bees Make It, Plus 17 Substitutes appeared first on Plant Based News.

The answer may lie, in part, with our food system. Researchers behind a newly published study, the most comprehensive of its kind, found that the diets people follow can have a drastic impact on their environmental footprint. Overall, diets heavy in meat were the most damaging to the planet, while vegan eating was considered most sustainable.

Jump to section:

• Global warming reaches new heights
• Latest research on environmental impact of diet
• 5 ways our food choices impact the planet
  – Greenhouse gas emissions
  – Deforestation and land use
  – Water loss and pollution
  – Biodiversity and species loss
  – Ocean deadzones
• Summary

Global heating reaches new extremes

July 4 was likely the hottest day on Earth in at least 100,000 years, the intergovernmental World Meterological Organization (WMO) reports, which broke a record set the day before. This was preceded by the hottest recorded month of June, with July expected to be the single hottest month on record. It’s a trend that’s slated to continue through the year, and the years following. And simultaneously, increase the likelihood of heat-related deaths, wildfires, and extreme weather events. 

But those weren’t the only records being broken. Last month, global sea surface temperatures were hotter than any other June on record. The North Atlantic region, in particular, has “alarm bells ringing especially loudly” due to its “unprecedented” sea surface temperatures, WMO reported.

“The North Atlantic is one of the key drivers of extreme weather. With the warming of the Atlantic there is an increasing likelihood of more hurricanes and tropical cyclones,” said Dr. Omar Baddour, chief of climate monitoring at WMO. Baddour added that the region’s sea surface temperature is closely linked with heavy rain or drought in West Africa.

Severe loss of Antarctic ice

Antarctic sea ice also reached a “record-smashing low” in recent weeks. Compared to the 1981-2010 average, an area of ice roughly 10 times the size of the UK is missing. “This is nothing like anything we’ve seen before in July,” Dr. Caroline Holmes at the British Antarctic Survey tells the BBC. “It’s 10 percent lower than the previous low, which is huge.”

Ice loss contributes to rising sea levels, flooding, and habitat destruction. It also interferes with the Earth’s ability to regulate its own temperature, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves worldwide.

“We are in uncharted territory,” WMO’s director of climate services Christopher Hewitt said in a statement. “And we can expect more records to fall as El Niño develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024.” El Niño refers to unusual warming of surface waters in the Pacific. It is the natural “warm phase” of an oscillating weather system. The world has been in La Niña – the “cool phase” – for the last three years, but we are moving into El Niño this year.

New research on the environmental impact of diet

An eye-opening new study into the environmental impact of food has also been making headlines, with major publications underscoring the sustainability benefits of a vegan diet.

The peer-reviewed study was published in Nature Food on July 20. It analyzed the eating habits of 55,000 people in the UK, alongside data from more than 38,000 farms in 119 countries. Researchers found that the environmental footprint of a vegan was around one-third lower than that of a meat-eater.

“Our dietary choices have a big impact on the planet. Cutting down the amount of meat and dairy in your diet can make a big difference to your dietary footprint,” commented lead author Peter Scarborough, professor of population health at Oxford.

Researchers also discovered that what people were eating, as opposed to where or how it was produced, was far more impactful.

“Cherry-picking data on high-impact plant-based food or low-impact meat can obscure the clear relationship between animal-based foods and the environment,” Scarborough said. “[But our results] show that high meat diets have the biggest impact for many important environmental indicators, including climate change and biodiversity loss.”

Speaking to the Guardian, the University of Reading’s Richard Tiffin said: “Encouraging high-meat-eaters to reduce meat consumption and encouraging vegetarians to become vegans should result in lower emissions. However, it’s hard to justify changes to the diets of moderate omnivores on the basis of these results, other than to switch to a completely vegan diet.”

5 ways our food choices impact the planet

Some anthropogenic (human-driven) activities are more damaging to the environment than others. Fossil fuel production, for example, has earned itself an increasingly negative reputation in recent decades, and rightly so. The industry is widely considered the largest contributor to the climate crisis.

But fossil fuels are just the tip of the iceberg. And while some factions of the food system have tactfully kept consumers in the dark, people are generally becoming more aware of the power of their eating habits. As such, the environment remains one of the primary reasons people go vegan.

In light of this, here are five key ways a plant-based or meat-heavy diet can help (or hurt) the planet.

1. Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases (GHG) are naturally present in Earth’s atmosphere, and were long before humankind arrived. Put simply, GHGs block some of the energy coming to Earth from the sun, and help keep a certain amount of infrared radiation (heat) in the atmosphere. This protects the planet from both extreme heat and extreme cold, and fortunately for humans, maintains a temperature we can exist in.

This so-called greenhouse effect is essential to life on Earth, and influences climate and weather patterns both locally and globally. But human-caused emissions are disrupting the planet’s natural processes. Experts agree that human activity is to blame for significant increases in GHGs including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane, and nitrous oxide.

Transportation, electricity, and fast fashion are all responsible for vast amounts of emissions, to varying degrees. But a study published in 2023 found that food emissions alone are set to heat the planet beyond the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.

Food system emissions

Research from 2021 looked specifically at emissions within the food system to identify any differences between sectors. Researchers found that animal-based food production is to blame for nearly double the amount of global GHG emissions compared to plant-based foods (57 percent and 29 percent respectively). Beef alone was responsible for nearly 25 percent of food-related emissions.

Authors of the study told the Guardian that year that people who are “concerned about climate change” should “seriously consider changing their dietary habits.”

Doing so could have far-reaching impacts, according to the just-published Nature Food study. Compared to high-meat diets, people on a vegan diet were responsible for 75 percent fewer emissions. For methane in particular, vegans produced 93 percent less than the average meat-eater. Methane drives 25 percent of today’s global warming, and has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) more than 80 times greater than that of CO₂.

Read more about emissions in the food industry here

2. Deforestation and land use

How much land we use and how we use it can affect GHG emissions, as well as habitat loss, biodiversity, soil quality, and air and water pollution.

In 2019, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of the food system’s impact on the planet, which was the most comprehensive of its kind. They studied data from 38,700 farms and the supply chains of various products. In terms of land use, animal products “markedly exceed” the impact of plant-based substitutes. In fact, meat, eggs, dairy, and aquaculture use approximately 83 percent of the world’s farmland, the study says. This, while only providing 37 percent of our protein and 18 percent of our calories.

An investigation published in June 2023 revealed that in a six-year timeframe, beef producers cut down 800 million trees in the Amazon rainforest, for both rearing animals and growing the crops that feed them. This is despite pledges from beef operators and exporters to actively avoid new deforestation.

“The Amazon is very close to a tipping point,” Alex Wijeratna, a senior director at the Mighty Earth advocacy organization told the Guardian. “So these types of figures are very alarming because the Amazon can’t afford to be losing this number of trees. This has planetary implications.”

Speaking to Plant Based News (PBN), environmental data scientist Nicholas Carter explained: “Farming for beef alone uses 60 percent of the world’s agricultural land but accounts for only two percent of global calories and five percent of global protein consumed. This is extravagantly inefficient and wasteful.”

Using food to protect forests

A key opportunity for tackling deforestation lies in our food choices. “Plant foods grown for direct human consumption only use about six percent of the Earth’s habitable surface and return about 63 percent of human consumed protein,” Carter says.

It’s estimated that if the world adopted a plant-based diet, global land use for agriculture would plummet by 75 percent. (Similarly, the Nature Food research found that vegan diets used up 75 percent land than meat ones). This is due, in part, to the amount of land being used to grow feedcrops. It’s thought that just over half (55 percent) of the world’s crop calories feed humans directly. Meanwhile, 36 percent goes towards “livestock.” It’s an inefficient system, too. Every 100 calories of grain fed to non-human animals produces just 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or three of beef.

3. Humans eat more water than they drink

The food system may not be the first sector that springs to mind when discussing water preservation, but it’s thought to be responsible for 70 percent of the world’s freshwater use and 78 percent of freshwater pollution.

There are now more than 92 billion land animals being raised and killed for food every year, recent data suggests. Unsurprisingly, huge amounts of water is used to sustain them, including to grow the crops that feed them. Meanwhile, approximately two billion humans do not have access to safe drinking water.

As part of its #SolveDifferent campaign, the UN Environment Programme compared how much irrigation and rainwater is used or polluted to make our food. It highlighted that it takes 15,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of beef. One kilogram of pork and cheese require 4,844 and 5,000 liters of water respectively.

Adhering to a fully plant-based diet could more than halve (54 percent) a person’s food-related water footprint, the Nature Food study says.

4. Biodiversity and species loss

Biodiversity refers to all kinds of life, including animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. The unique way these lifeforms interact has kept Earth and its inhabitants alive for billions of years. Coral reefs, insects, woodland birds, bacteria, marine life, swamps, wild horses, chickens, and elephants living in the desert – all of these and more have crucial roles in the planet’s ecosystem and help balance one another’s impact.

Human activity places substantial pressure on biodiversity with each anthropogenic change in land use, ice mass, and pollution levels, among others. A study from earlier this year described biodiversity loss as “one of the most alarming consequences” of human activity, warning that we are currently living through a mass “sixth extinction.” Researchers estimate that nearly half (48 percent) of the world’s animal species have declining populations. At the same time, just three percent are increasing.

Animals farmed for food now make up most of the world’s animal population. A 2021 research paper from Chatham House highlighted that farmed animals (predominantly pigs and cows) account for 60 percent of all mammal species by mass, while wild mammals make up just four percent (humans sit at around 36 percent). Similarly, more than half (57 percent) of all bird species by mass are farmed chickens.

The report provides recommendations for protecting biodiversity and reducing pressure on the planet. It encourages a shift towards a plant-based food system, echoing similar research from 2021 and 2015. Along a similar vein, the recent Nature Food research linked vegan eating to a 66 percent reduction in biodiversity loss.

5. Ocean dead zones

There are a number of areas in the planet’s oceans and lakes that are so depleted of oxygen that most organisms can no longer survive there. These low-oxygen (hypoxic) areas are known as dead zones.

Dead zones can occur naturally, and some are temporary or seasonal. But human activity is causing a troubling spike in such zones, mostly via nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution. This occurs when an excess of polluting nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) enter bodies of water and stimulate algal growth, suffocating marine life and increasing public health risks in the process.

As aforementioned, agriculture is to blame for nearly 80 percent of freshwater pollution, largely due to animal manure and fertilizer. Factory farms in the US alone produce roughly 500 million tons of manure each year, according to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). This is thought to be more than the world’s entire human population. Meanwhile, vast amounts of fertilizer are used to grow livestock feedcrops as efficiently as possible.

From 1970 to 2000, nitrogen discharges from rivers to coastal waters leaped up by 43 percent, with agriculture producing more than three times as much nitrogen than sewage.

Plastic pollution in the seas

Plastic pollution is also hitting our oceans harder than ever before. Eight to 10 million tonnes of plastic are released into the sea each year, according to UNESCO.

And it’s not just single-use straws and plastic bags doing the damage. It’s estimated that 70 percent of macroplastics (those larger than 20cm) floating on the ocean surface are fishing-related. Further, the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch is thought to be made up of 75-86 percent of fishing-related plastic waste. 

Takeaway

A growing wealth of research indicates the most environmentally friendly diet is a fully vegan one. Animal agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation, pollution, biodiversity loss, and water use, and is linked to significant emission output. Most animal-derived foods take a heavy toll on the planet, including beef, pork, dairy, lamb, chicken, eggs, and fish.

Generally speaking, foods with low emissions, land use, and/or water use include: mushrooms; leafy greens like spinach, kale, and arugula; seaweed; legumes and pulses including chickpeas and beans; broccoli; cabbage; figs; carrots; potatoes; and whole grains like wheat, rye, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, and oats.

Locally grown, in-season, pesticide-free plant foods tend to have the lowest environmental impact. If you have the means, consider growing some produce at home to make your plate even more sustainable.

“Animal agriculture is the most destructive human pressure on Earth, driving a mass extinction of animal and plant species,” Carter tells PBN. “The picture is clear. We need a plant-based food system to feed the world, free up space for wildlife, and all start thriving again.”

More like this:

• Can ‘Local Meat’ Be A Part Of A Sustainable Future Food System?
• IPCC Accused Of Burying Plant-Based Diet Recommendations: 5 Key Takeaways
• Bee Populations Are Declining, Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help

The post 5 Ways A Plant-Based Diet Can Help Save The Planet appeared first on Plant Based News.

While this concept is sobering enough on its own, the public’s perception of sharks is largely off the mark. Research into the species indicates they’re complex individuals who are capable of a range of emotions. They can plan ahead, have likes and dislikes, and maintain friendships. Plus, their very existence helps biodiversity flourish.

According to Andrea Richey, the executive director of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, it’s this misunderstanding of the species that is fueling the “global shark crisis.”

Jump to section:

• Threats faced by sharks
• Extreme population decline
• How often do sharks attack?
• Personalities and social lives
• Biodiversity
• How to save the sharks

Greatest threats to sharks

Sharks have been around for at least 420 million years (200 million more than dinosaurs), meaning they’ve lived through four out of five of Earth’s “mass extinctions.”

But sharks’ current leading threat? Us.

“Right now we are experiencing a global shark crisis,” Richey, who is a former lawyer, told Plant Based News (PBN) in an interview. “Over 100 million sharks are killed annually.”

It’s not a new issue; humans have been hunting and killing sharks for their flesh and fins for centuries. But there has been a sharp uptick in their deaths in recent decades, due to an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure, according to a study published in Nature in 2021.

Between 1970 and 2018, oceanic shark and ray populations nosedived by 71 percent, the study found (and that figure may even be an underestimation). This has left many sharks threatened or critically endangered. Richey warns that more than one-third of shark species – there are more than 500 known species – are nearing extinction.

Professor Nick Dulvy, co-author of the 2021 Nature study, named the findings “staggering” and “stark.”

“If we don’t do anything, it will be too late,” Dulvy said in a statement when the research was published. “It’s much worse than other animal populations we’ve been looking at. It’s an incredible rate of decline steeper than most elephant and rhino declines, and those animals are iconic in driving conservation efforts on land.”

Nathan Pacoureau, who led the research, said he hopes the study “serves as an urgent wake-up call.”

Why are so many sharks dying?

Overfishing, habitat destruction, and the climate crisis are pushing shark numbers down, Richey says, as well as the shark trade, which sees their body parts used in food, medicine, and clothing.

“Intensive commercial and recreational fishing results in unsustainable practices such as bottom trawling, by-catch, and inhumane mutilation via finning or ‘livering,’ where sharks are gutted and thrown into the sea in order to preserve the state of their livers quickly,” Richey tells PBN. (Shark liver oil is used in some medicines and supplements.)

“All these phenomena contribute to the rapid reduction of not only sharks, but their prey and their habitats,” she adds.

Their slow reproductive cycles only exacerbates the problem, since many don’t survive long enough to have offspring. “Sharks are known for being very slow in their reproductive capacity, especially due to the vigorous nature of courting and copulation for sharks,” Richey explains. Shark pregnancies are typically around 12 months, but some species, like the frilled shark, can be pregnant for more than three years. When sharks do give birth – either by laying eggs or giving birth to live young – they often only have a few pups at a time, and leave several years between pregnancies.

Some sharks don’t reach reproductive age until around 15 years. But that’s little compared to the Greenland shark, who only start having pups at 150 years old, Richey says (a fact that is among her favorites). Incredibly, the species can live up to 400 years when left untouched. “Sadly many Greenland sharks are killed before they’ve had a chance to reproduce,” Richey said.

‘Attack’ myths: leaving sharks high and dry

Some policies have been put in place to protect sharks, but the fish are largely left to fend for themselves. Many experts say the public’s perception of sharks is, at least partially, to blame.

Around a decade ago, researchers asked 1,000 American adults about their feelings towards sharks. More than half of them admitted they were “terrified” of the animals, while around 38 percent said sharks made them scared to swim in the ocean. Another survey from 2015 discovered that 39 percent of UK adults hated sharks.

But shark attacks are exceedingly rare. According to the International Wildlife Museum, humans have a one in 3.75 million chance of being killed by a shark. You’re more likely to die from fireworks, lightning, a toaster, or being hit by a flying champagne cork. And while shark “attacks” lead to the deaths of less than 10 people a year worldwide, humans kill more than 11,000 sharks every hour.

Media representation has played a key role in muddying the reputation of sharks. An analysis of how sharks are portrayed in films found that 96 percent of movies overtly show shark-human interactions as dangerous for humans. Much of this began with Jaws.

The impact of ‘Jaws’

“Jaws was kind of a turning point,” Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University told the Washington Post in 2022. “It got people thinking very negatively about sharks, which just made it so much easier to overfish them.”

George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, said a “collective testosterone rush” followed the release of the film. “Thousands of fishers set out to catch trophy sharks after seeing Jaws,” he said to the BBC in 2015. He added that “there was no remorse, since there was this mindset that they were man-killers.”

Years after his book’s release, Jaws author Benchley reiterated that “sharks don’t target human beings, and they certainly don’t hold grudges” like his 1974 novel suggests.

“Knowing what I know now, I could never write that book today,” Benchley, who later became a marine conservationist and advocate for sharks before passing away in 2006, has been quoted as saying. “The sea is worthy more of respect and protection than fear and exploitation.” Steven Spielberg, who directed the famous 1975 Jaws film, similarly said he “truly regrets” the impact his film had on shark populations.

What are sharks really like?

This misinformation is what the Hong Kong Shark Foundation is working to unravel. “Hollywood has created a lucrative ‘fear’ industry by wrongfully exploiting the image of sharks,” Richey tells PBN. But sharks, like humans and many other animals, have unique individual personalities. Researchers have found that some sharks are braver than others, and cope with stress differently to one another.

Other research indicates sharks have strong social connections and that these vary from individual to individual. Some, for example, tend to spend time alone or with a small pool of acquaintances. Others keep larger social groups, remaining in touch over extended periods of time and despite moving between habitats. Many hunt in groups or pairs.

Along a similar vein, a 2021 study from Fiji found that bull sharks – often considered the most dangerous to humans – develop companionships of their own. Researchers looked at data that spanned 13 years from more than 3,000 shark dives. They discovered that bull sharks displayed preferences for certain shark individuals – and actively avoided others. Separate research found that grey reef sharks met up with the same “friends” in the same location year after year.

“Sharks are fascinating creatures,” Richey says. “Every species of shark has their own unique mannerisms and behaviors, so sharks really cannot be put into one collective ‘box’. In fact, some sharks are so unique they have been known to be friendly and even remember certain divers!”

Indeed, shark conservationist and diver Jim Abernethy’s experience testifies to that. He’s maintained a “friendship” with a wild 15-foot tiger shark for two decades. The shark, named Emma, even remembered him after having been separated for a year. 

Balancing the seas

Sharks are vital to our ecosystem and without them, our planet wouldn’t be the same. “Sharks play an important role in our ocean and are essential to maintaining a balanced environment for all marine life to thrive,” Richey explains.

“If sharks are not around to maintain balance, other predators who may feed on smaller organisms or marine plant life will increase disproportionately,” she says, “and result in the rapid destruction of areas prone to damage, such as reef branches.”

“There is evidence of this phenomenon already occurring,” Richey notes. This “shifting dominance of organisms” can be seen in the overgrowth of algae in coral reefs, for example, due to a lack of herbivorous or omnivorous predators such as the basking and whale sharks. Sharks’ predatory behavior also encourages prey to switch up their habitats frequently.

“They are really opportunists who cull the weak and sick fish or sea mammals who are less fit for survival,” Richey explains. “These ‘cleaners of the sea’ help maintain biodiversity and keep oceans clean.”

Electro-sensory system

How they do this stems from a highly refined sensory ability that is unique to sharks: their ampullae of Lorenzini. 

“The ampullae of Lorenzini, located around their head and snout, are what make up the ‘electro-sensory system’ of sharks, which is how they can detect the heartbeats of prey using electromagnetism,” Richey tells us.

“This is an important factor in understanding the behavior of sharks because they are likely to only target prey who seem more vulnerable due to illness or fatigue by sensing the strength of their heartbeats.”

How to help sharks

Try plant-based seafood

Perhaps the most impactful thing we can do to protect sharks is keep them and other fish off our plates.

Shark fin soup is still eaten in many parts of the world, especially Asia, while meat from endangered sharks has appeared in fish and chip shops in the UK and Australia (without shoppers knowing).

All kinds of “seafood” puts sharks at risk. Aside from the pollution and biodiversity changes caused by commercial fishing, sharks are frequently killed as bycatch. Bycatch refers to marine life that is unintentionally captured while fishing for another species or target animal. It’s estimated that 10 to 40 percent of the world’s global “catch” is bycatch, leaving countless sharks, whales, dolphins, turtles, seals, and others accidentally injured or killed.

Additionally, sharks and other animals often become entangled in discarded fishing gear, which makes up a majority of plastic trash in the water.

Make mindful purchases

Shark byproducts can turn up in surprising places. Squalene, for example, can be derived from sharks and is commonly used in supplements as well as sunscreen, lipstick, lip balm, foundation, and eyeshadow.

Similarly, shark skin can be used to make leather bags, belts, shoes, and more. Choosing to buy vegan-friendly cosmetics, clothing, accessories, and other products helps keep sharks in the ocean where they belong. Richey summarizes the point well: “Simply put, when we stop the buying, we stop the killing!”

Talk about it

Humankind’s perception of sharks can be a powerful factor in their welfare, so debunking the myths surrounding them is vital. “We believe educating consumers is the key to successful shark conservation,” Richey says about Hong Kong Shark Foundation, which has its own Shark Ambassador education program. “Informing those around you about the nature of these products will help aid conservation efforts immensely.”

“I like to think it is their ocean and we are just sharing it with them,” Richey says. And with enough compassion, care, and action, humankind and future generations will be able to see and “appreciate just how majestic and important to our planet sharks really are.”

For more information about the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, including how to donate, visit the website here

More like this:

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• Are Oysters Vegan? The Debate Explained
• Eating Pigs: The Ethical Costs Of Ham, Pork, And Bacon

The post Beneath The Surface: What You Might Not Know About Sharks appeared first on Plant Based News.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a leading driver of the issue. In fact, CO2 makes up the largest portion of anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s leading authority on climate science. 

So how many emissions does meat production actually produce? And is it enough that we must curb our eating habits?

What is carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is an acidic colorless gas that occurs naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, making it integral to life on Earth.

CO2 is harmless in small amounts, but human activity causes levels of the gas to surge. Writing for Forbes, chemical engineer Robert Rapier highlighted that global carbon dioxide emissions have tripled in the last 55 years, sitting at 32.3 billion metric tons in 2020.

Why is carbon dioxide harmful?

CO2 is a greenhouse gas, meaning it creates a cover that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. When concentrations are too high, the planet’s carbon cycle can’t process it efficiently enough. This causes global temperatures to increase, a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. 

Global climate breakdown has led to loss of sea ice, rising sea levels, and more frequent and severe heat waves and droughts, according to NASA. The government agency also highlights links between climate breakdown and stronger hurricanes, flash flooding, increased wildfires, erosion in coastal areas, ocean acidification, and biodiversity loss.

“The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come,” NASA sums up.

What percent of global emissions comes from livestock?

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “livestock” make up 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic emissions – 7.1 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalents (CO₂-eq) per year. [What are CO2 equivalents?]

There is some debate surrounding this widely accepted figure of 14.5 percent. Research published in 2021 claims that this figure is “now out of date.” The article argues that the minimum estimate for animal agriculture’s emissions should be updated to 16.5 percent. 

“Some will contest the importance of a few percentage points. Yet even the difference between 14.5 and 16.5 percent is the difference between animal agriculture being responsible for close to one in seven, or one in six of all emissions,” the article reads.

Cows raised for meat and milk are responsible for more emissions than any other non-human species, making up around 65 percent of livestock emissions, the FAO says. In 2010, a report from the FAO found that the dairy sector alone accounts for four percent of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

Food system emissions

Separate research, also from 2021, found that meat is responsible for 57 percent of all greenhouse gases from food production – nearly double that of plant-based foods (29 percent). The study’s authors looked at the entire lifecycle of food production to reach their conclusions, telling the Guardian that they were somewhat surprised at how high the emission levels were.

“You can’t just impose your views on others,” study co-author Atul Jain told the publication. “But if people are concerned about climate change, they should seriously consider changing their dietary habits.”

This sentiment has been echoed elsewhere. A webinar that took place in April 2023 highlighted the potential environmental advantages of changing what we eat. If Scotland’s capital of Edinburgh, for example, was to ditch meat and go vegan, the emissions spared would be equivalent to removing more than half a million cars from the roads. And if Stockholm did the same, the emission reduction would equal that of removing 935,000 cars.

“If we keep producing and eating the food we do today, we will not reach the Paris Agreement. The world as we know it won’t be the same,” Stockholm’s mayor Karin Wanngård commented. “Now is the time for states and cities to take a greater responsibility for the food people consume. In our city, we have nearly one million inhabitants. The schools, pre-schools, and elderly homes of Stockholm are taking a leap towards organic plant-based and locally produced food.”

Which foods have the highest carbon footprint?

In 2019, researchers published the most comprehensive analysis to date of the environmental impact of food and farming. They collected data on 38,700 farms and their supply chains, taking into consideration land use, animal feed, and the environmental costs of processing, packaging, and transporting foods, among other factors.

Researchers noted a “striking” observation: even the least environmentally harmful animal products usually exceeded the impact of vegan foods.

Food derived from cows, such as beef, cheese, and other dairy products, were identified as generating the most greenhouse gases. Meat from other animals – such as lambs, pigs, prawns, and chickens – were also linked to signifiant levels of CO₂-eq.

Not all animal-free foods come with low emissions, however. Dark chocolate and coffee production, in particular, were high on the list in terms of greenhouse gas output.

Which foods have the lowest carbon footprint?

All foods tied to low emission output were plant-based, according to the meta-analysis.

Looking at supply chain emissions per kilogram of food, researchers found that while beef emits 60kg of CO₂-eq, pea production generates just 1kg per kilogram of food. Even when assessing protein content, there were stark differences between animal products and vegan proteins. Per 100 grams of protein, beef was found to emit 49.89kg of CO₂-eq. Lamb and mutton were responsible for just under 20kg, while farmed prawns and pigs emitted 18.19kg and 7.61kg respectively. 

For context, grains emitted 2.71kg of CO₂-eq per 100g of protein and soybeans emitted 1.98kg. Peas – a common ingredient in vegan meat products like Beyond Burgers – generate just 0.44kg of CO₂-eq.

The following were pinpointed as the most environmentally friendly foods:

• Citrus fruit (0.39kg of CO₂-eq per 100 grams of food)
• Root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots (0.43kg)
• Apples (0.43kg)
• Nuts (0.43kg)
• Onions and leeks (0.5kg)
• Bananas (0.86kg)
• Peas (0.98kg)
• Soy milk (0.98kg)
• Barley (1.2kg)
• Berries and grapes (1.5kg)
• Wheat and rye (1.6kg)
• Tomatoes (2.1kg)
• Oatmeal (2.5kg)
• Tofu (3.2kg)
• Rice (4.5kg)

Takeaway

More and more research is underscoring the impact of food production on global emissions, and therefore, the potential our diets have to mitigate the climate crisis. Beef, lamb, dairy, and shrimp are among the foods that generate the most emissions. Meanwhile, citrus fruit, root vegetables, apples, nuts, bananas, peas, and soy milk have been identified as more environmentally friendly.

Even locally produced meat is damaging to the planet, in part due to emissions. As a result, many experts are calling on governments and individuals alike to shift their diets to plant-based ones. Joseph Poore, who led the aforementioned meta-analysis, is a key example. Poore adopted a plant-based diet himself after beginning his research.

“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use,” Poore said after his research was published. He added that the impact of ditching animal products is “far bigger” than flying less or opting for an electric car.

Dr. Peter Carter, an expert reviewer for the IPCC, has made similar statements. Last year, he said that in terms of fighting climate breakdown, “global veganization is now a survival imperative.”

—

What are CO2 equivalents? Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas, but it’s the chief one tied to human activity. Researchers use carbon dioxide-equivalents (CO₂eq) to better reflect all greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, greenhouse gases are weighted depending on their global warming potential (GWP), which indicates how much warming a gas creates compared to CO2. CO2 has a GWP value of one; a gas that has a GWP of 10 has ten times the warming effect of CO2.

This article was originally published on September 12, 2021. It was last updated on June 29, 2023.

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• IPCC Accused Of Burying Plant-Based Diet Recommendations: 5 Key Takeaways
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The post How Many CO2 Emissions Does The Meat Industry Actually Produce? appeared first on Plant Based News.

The 1.5 degrees Paris climate target is expected to be passed in the early 2030s, I suspect due to manipulative corporate greenwashing, disinformation campaigns, and political lobbying influence from animal agriculture and fossil fuel giants.

What are we doing to prevent this?

Today, food trends still show a big appetite for local and regenerative systems, even though these are largely vague and undefined terms and highly debatable. Data also shows that the corporatized Western diet will continue to aggressively permeate cultures across the globe. That is, unless changes are made now.

Studying and working in the wider conservation and nature-based solutions field for years, when the food topic is brought up, buying local has been the most pervasive and proudly held environmental action. And intuitively, it makes sense. I used to believe it and often bought from local butcher shops for this exact reason.

This approach falls apart when considering animal-sourced foods, revealing a deeply flawed environmental understanding that contradicts our well-meaning intentions.

Teaching children to cherish our planet vs. Old MacDonald’s farm

As soon as parents start reading their children books or play music, young minds are bombarded with content that promotes a bucolic, romanticized, and simplistic view of farm life. This distorted portrayal of food production impedes progress towards needed transformational food system change.

We all hold distorted ideas around animal farming. Partly due to the secrecy of confinement of treatment of animals, but also the early indoctrination of children as unsuspecting meat eaters. I’ve observed this first-hand countless times. My five-year-old daughter was offered a snack from a friend of hers at the park. She’s thrived on a plant-based diet since she was born, and now understands the age-appropriate amount on the topic to ask: “Are there animals in it?”

The friend said no. It was some pepperoni and cheese from a local market.

“The percent of children claiming that hamburgers, hot dogs, and bacon come from plants ranged from 36 percent to 41 percent. Even chicken nuggets, a food that has an animal in its name, were categorized as a plant-based food by more than a third of the children in our sample,” according to Dr. Erin Hahn and other researchers from Furman University. 

The influence of Big Ag

Yet the cultural power of animal agriculture shields it from criticism and regulation. This has resulted in meat production globally increasing by almost fivefold in the latter half of the 1900s. This is the systematic result of subsidies, lobbying, marketing, funded academics, and governments bailing out conglomerates like Tyson, Cargill, and JBS. The top 10 meat and dairy companies and six largest trade associations, in the US alone, have spent over $330M just on lobbying related to the environment since 2000. 

Due to this power and influence, paired with inconsistent early beliefs that continue into adulthood, now almost two-thirds of both urban and rural Americans believe that buying local food is better for the environment. This is far more than those who believe plant-based proteins are better than animal-sourced ones, according to a survey from Purdue University.

The truth behind ‘eco-friendly’ local meat

Many people who support the buy-local food narrative often ignore the fact that there are many other far larger factors than transportation that impact a product’s carbon footprint. Food’s environmental impact comes, in part, from its land use, deforestation, and methane (mostly from cattle). But other factors can impact the carbon footprint of food, too. For instance, massive storage lagoons of manure from confined animals, nitrous oxide from over-fertilized fields, and even the storage of meat and similar products, since animal-sourced foods typically require significant refrigeration. Even food waste’s impacts are dominated by animal-sourced ones.

Research has also shown that transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent five–six percent of total GHG emissions of global food production, depending on the study method and food products considered. The notable exception where transport can indeed be used as an indicator for a product’s poor carbon footprint is food that is transported by plane. Consumers deserve far more transparency to be able to opt-out of foods that have been air freighted. But luckily, it’s only 0.16 percent of all food.

More on food miles

Another perspective of this debate was covered by a new study by Li et al., (2020). It suggested that “food miles” make up 20 percent of food emissions, which is much higher than previous studies. This study unfairly accounted for all the upstream emissions (from fertilizers to pesticides to machinery), and when accounting for only the transport of food, food miles only account for nine percent of emissions according to their methods. As Dr. Hannah Ritchie from Oxford University put it in a review of the flaws, they also assumed all fruit and vegetables are temperature-controlled, but lots of vegetables aren’t. For instance, onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, garlic, cauliflowers, broccoli, pumpkins, squashes, and peppers.

Buying local seasonal plant foods makes sense, but it’s still important to understand what the comparison is for the same foods grown elsewhere. For example, oats, similar to wheat, are often irrigated in the US due to being grown in drier regions. On the other hand, winter wheat is rain-fed. By moving these crops to locations with more rainfall, like western New York or Pennsylvania, the need for irrigation can be reduced significantly.

So how do we increase local food security, especially in these days with increased global conflicts and trade restrictions?

National food security

The scientific consensus is increasingly showing that the animal agriculture industry, trade groups, and paid-experts can no longer deny the environmental impacts from animal-sourced foods relative to plant-based options. So instead of denying it, they are creating disinformation campaigns similar to the oil and gas industry. These often justify the expansion of animal agriculture locally to meet national food security goals.

In regions like the United Kingdom, where the capital of Scotland just endorsed the Plant Based Treaty, some are claiming that due to so much land being considered marginal and not productive for plant agriculture, then grazing for cattle and sheep is necessary. This is misinformation. This study showed that the UK as a whole could still feed the current population, with a similar amount of imports, while also allowing for significant rewilding if we shifted to plant-based diets. Dr. Joseph Poore recently showed that 232,000 hectares of land could be spared if Edinburgh shifted to fully plant-based. This would be equivalent to removing 532,000 cars off the road.

Globally, if people shifted to plant-based diets, more food could be produced and all the land held captive by ranching could be rewilded to help draw down carbon from the atmosphere. Globally, this plant-based shift could feed an additional four billion people. But also, free up three billion hectares, an amount of land equivalent to the entire continent of Africa.

Alternatively, if the Western diet continues being centered around animal-sourced foods, and this food system is continually exported to countries as they increase their income, we’d require an additional 3.5 billion hectares for animal agriculture production. This is an area roughly equal to the combined area of Africa and Australia.

Communities left behind

Yet some issues still remain, especially with global volatility over increasingly limited resources and environmental breakdown. There are only roughly 400 million people worldwide who reside in an area where enough food variety within the different food groups is locally produced to maintain their current dietary habits within a radius of less than 100 square kilometers.

Even if food waste is minimized, crop yields are optimized, and dietary habits are modified to include more efficient crop choices, only a fraction of the world’s population – less than one-third – could depend on locally grown crops to meet their food needs.

This shows that international trade and global food products, as unfair as they can be in today’s system, are currently key in meeting the food requirements of the world’s population and safeguarding food security.

What if we could create a local and resilient food system that actually could feed the world without destroying it? What if there’s a way to continue eating the same culturally enjoyed foods, without slaughtering another animal or destroying the planet?

The Future Locavore: the case for a slaughter-free local food system

Now back to the year 2033, but imagine that we not only continued in the 2020s to decarbonize our energy system, but we also transformed our food system. Instead of exporting the Western food system globally and continuing the largest human pressure on the planet, eroding all remaining wild ecosystems, preventing rewilding, and driving a sixth mass extinction of species, we innovated and rallied for positive changes.

Imagine we replicated the taste and texture that people have become accustomed to, with a fraction of the environmental footprint. All this while supporting local economies.

Imagine the world’s protein and fat coming from local breweries, occupying only the land area of a small province or state, instead of half the planet, and powered by clean electricity.

Many would say this is impossible.

But this is all underway. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration recently gave approval to a company that creates cultivated meat. This is produced using a basic animal cell and ends up being biologically identical to conventional meat, without the slaughter.

What is precision fermentation?

Precision fermentation technology that uses yeast or bacteria to produce molecularly identical animal-free dairy or eggs also isn’t some future innovation. Ninety percent of cheese in the US market is made with rennet produced through precision fermentation.

The process of fermentation is a highly versatile method of using microorganisms to create alternative sources of proteins. For thousands of years, fermentation has been employed in the production of food. Throughout history, microbial cultures have been used by early civilizations to preserve various types of food, as well as to develop alcoholic drinks. Additionally, to enhance the nutritional benefits and digestibility of a wide variety of foods like tempeh and yogurt.

While cultivated (cell-based) meat is new, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized in a new report that cell-based foods are safe and well beyond the realm of futuristic concepts. Presently, more than 100 businesses and start-ups are working on cell-based food products that are prepared for commercialization, pending approval.

Imagine food markets and grocery stores with their own local systems for cultivated meat, similar to how many stores currently brew coffee and bake fresh bread and cakes on location. Pizza shops will have the ability to produce fresh cheese on-site using their own unique combination of molecular taste, smell, texture, and nutritional qualities.

Is it realistic?

This is a convincing theory of change, although some are skeptical. The size of bioreactors alone created in different areas of the world may pose challenges. The bio-pharmaceutical industry’s largest bioreactors are around 25,000 liters. Large ones, at 100,000-250,000 liters — as proposed by Good Meat which is currently selling cultured chicken in Singapore — don’t exist yet. And they may not be possible for cell-based meat without contamination and waste. In mid-2022, they announced the engineering firm ABEC is currently building ten 250,000-liter bioreactors to try just this.

If we can create the same foods people love in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value, except without deforestation, manure, extreme food waste with crops grown for confined animals, animal-slaughter, and a host of other environmental and ethical issues, why wouldn’t we try?

Obstacles to change

Public money will likely need to support these companies including the non-profits pioneering this effort, instead of animal agriculture. This shouldn’t be seen as a barrier; a 2021 report found almost 90 percent of global farming subsidies are harmful. Government regulations and licensing stipulations should mandate unionized work environments in cultured meat and precision fermentation labs. And, prioritize hiring skilled workers who have been displaced from the traditional meat sector.

Between 2015-2020, financial institutions gave over $478 billion to meat and dairy corporations globally. Between 2010-2020, plant-based food, cultivated meat, and fermentation companies, all of which would significantly reduce land pressures, received only $5.9 billion in investments. And that doesn’t include subsidies. ​Worldwide, more than US$200 billion of public money is given to farmers every year in direct transfers.

Proteins from precision fermentation produce up to 97 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, up to 99 percent less water use, according to the University of Helsinki VTT technical research centre of Finland. Other reports show these alternative proteins will be 100 times more land efficient than current animal agriculture methods. The innovative process will be 25 times more feedstock efficient, 10 times more water-efficient, 20 times more time-efficient, and will produce minimal waste. Other studies show similar environmental improvements with cultivated meat, although decarbonization of the energy system will be key. 

Bringing food security to more people

Decentralizing precision fermentation and cultivated meat production could bring significant benefits to remote and food-insecure regions. 

“A more decentralized and resilient production model, closer to the consumer, means food production will no longer be at the mercy of geography of extreme price, quality, and volume fluctuations due to climate, seasons, disease, epidemics, geopolitical restrictions, or exchange-rate volatility. PF (Precision Fermentation) foods will also have a longer shelf life and be less vulnerable to contamination risk,” according to Catherine Tubb and Tony Seba in their report on Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030.

Since this new meat can be made in controlled environments, it could be produced in regions that lack the necessary climate and soil conditions for traditional agriculture.

Decentralized production of this new food system could finally be that piece that solves world hunger and food insecurity by providing a locally produced, nutrient-rich food source globally. This would also stimulate local economies by creating new job opportunities in the production, distribution, and sale of the product. And, finally empower regions of the world that rely so heavily on food imports to feed their population.

A golden opportunity

While this disruption and transformation of our food system won’t come without careful socio-economic considerations, and some increased innovation for scalability, the net benefits far outweigh any potential short-term burdens. It will continue to be important to understand the competition that this will bring amongst organizations, farmers, trade groups, and current dominating food-supplying countries. As such, we must actively engage all stakeholders from the outset for a just transition.  

As some experts have put it, this is the greatest opportunity for environmental restoration in human history. It’s also one that can also improve health, food security, and wellbeing. And meanwhile, reduce pandemic and antibiotic resistance risks and national conflicts. Others believe we should simply advocate for whole food plant-based diets. And while this does align the best with environmental, health, and social implications, the likelihood of this drastic change from current dietary patterns is far less likely.

Shape tomorrow by acting today

Imagine in 2033, a world transformed by humanity’s collective decision to shift towards a plant-based, cultured meat, and precision fermentation food system a decade earlier. Half of the planet was able to rewild and is now showing clear signs of restoration of plant and animal species that were on the brink of extinction just a decade ago. This resurgence of biodiversity has sparked hope and reinforced the importance of living within planetary boundaries.

It all began in 2023 when a global movement emerged, advocating for a massive shift in food production and consumption patterns. The world embraced these societal and technological changes, which paved the way for a more sustainable, compassionate food system. As a result, vast expanses of land previously dedicated to industrial agriculture and livestock farming were freed up, allowing nature to reclaim its rightful place.

In this new world, rivers and streams run clear, teeming with life once thought to be lost forever. Forests, once razed for agricultural expansion, have regrown. They now provide sanctuary to countless species, some of which had been pushed to the edge of extinction. The air is cleaner, filled with the songs of birds returning to their ancestral homes.

In a powerful act of restorative justice, many Indigenous communities were given their ancestral lands back, empowering them to share their wisdom and traditional practices in stewarding the Earth. And some saw this technology as fully in line with their culture. Black communities around the world received reparations for their historical displacement and oppression. This included land redistribution that reignited their connection to the earth and brought harmony and reconciliation. Neither of those were achievable to any scale without this shift.

Living in harmony with planet Earth

Communities around the globe have witnessed the power of collective action, inspired by the positive changes they see in their environment. They have come to understand the interconnectedness of all living beings and the critical role each plays in maintaining the delicate balance of the planet’s ecosystems. In turn, they have developed a newfound appreciation for the land and sea.

Children, like my daughter, grow up knowing the importance of their food choices and their impact on the world. They are taught the value of kind, local, plant-based, and cultivated foods that support the health of both people and the planet. As people walk through rewilded landscapes, they marvel at the beauty of their surroundings and the rich biodiversity that flourishes within them.

This utopian vision of 2033 serves as inspiration to humanity’s capacity to change for the better. Through innovation, compassion, and a deep respect for the Earth, we can come together to create a brighter, more sustainable future for all life on our planet. This is entirely within our reach and a clear area to start is the food we all eat.

The post Can ‘Local Meat’ Be A Part Of A Sustainable Future Food System? appeared first on Plant Based News.

Adopted as the city’s emblem more than a century ago, the humble worker bee (which is the smallest of all honey bees and is always female) is seen by many Mancunians as representative of their key values. After all, bees work hard, they work together, they produce value. 

The city of Manchester isn’t alone. Humans have had a relationship with bees for centuries. The Ancient Egyptians felt they had religious and spiritual significance, while many 19th-century Europeans felt superstitious about them. The age-old ritual of “telling the bees,” for example, saw people inform bees about the death of loved ones. (If they didn’t, they feared they would suffer more loss.)

Fast forward to 2023, and we still have a special relationship with bees. But it’s not just about spirituality and superstition. We need them to survive.

Bees are responsible for pollinating our food supply. In fact, one in every three bites of food we take can be attributed to bees. They also offer invaluable support to ecosystems, helping plants and trees grow. In Europe, bees pollinate around 80 percent of wildflowers.

But bees are in decline. And, despite how much we have always revered them, most of that is humanity’s fault. 

Pesticides’ impact on bees

One of the biggest threats to bees is our incessant use of pesticides. 

Used by farmers, the blanket term “pesticides” refers to chemical sprays, treatments, and pellets used for pest, weed, and fungus control.

In 2012, first-of-its-kind research discovered that these chemicals were causing a serious decline of honey bees in both the US and the UK. It’s not surprising: many of these chemicals are designed to kill insects – and, spoiler alert, bees are insects.

Ten years on, pesticides are still presenting a huge problem for bees. Earlier this month, another study from the University of Oxford found that they impact bee nervous systems, interfering with their coordination and effectively making the insects appear “drunk.”

“Our results are reason for concern because the ability of bees to respond appropriately to visual information is crucial for their flight and navigation,” said lead author Dr. Rachel Parkinson. “And thus their survival.”

Pollution and habitat loss

But pesticides are just one of the many enormous problems bees are up against. Air pollution is another huge factor in bee decline. One recent study, conducted over a period of three years, predicted that in India, pollution could kill off honey bees entirely.

The study focused on bees in Bengaluru, one of the country’s most polluted cities. It found the insects covered in “all sorts of crud and particles,” researcher Geetha Thimmegowda told Science. Some even had traces of toxic heavy metals, like arsenic and lead. The study found that out of every five bees that collected pollen from the most polluted areas in the city, four died within one day of collection.

And as well as pollution, among many other issues, bees are facing habitat loss too. As reported by Friends of the Earth, since World War II, the UK has lost 97 percent of its wildflower meadows to things like intensive farming and urban development.

“It’s more essential than ever that new urban development such as housing avoids damage to important habitats, like the remaining wildflower meadows,” states the nonprofit. “What’s more it must also incorporate ‘green infrastructure’ that can significantly benefit bees and other wildlife.”

How to help the bees

Ultimately, a lot of effective bee protection comes down to legislation. Earlier this year, the Wildlife Trusts reported that the UK government was putting bees at risk by allowing for the use of thiamethoxam, a previously banned bee-harming pesticide. 

At the time, Matt Shardlow, the CEO of insect charity Buglife, said: “It is shameful that no action has been taken to ensure that bee and wildlife destroying pesticides are properly assessed as being pollinator safe before they are approved or derogated for use.”

Joan Edwards of the Wildlife Trusts added: “It’s a clear betrayal of promises made to protect the natural world and comes at a time when nature declines are worse than ever.”

But despite government failures, there are things we can all do to help our bee populations. Here are just a handful of the actions that we can take to do our part for these valuable pollinators.

1. Create a bee-friendly garden

If you have a garden or any form of outside space, it is possible to make it more appealing to bees.

Firstly, think about the sort of flowers you plant. Bees like those that are rich in pollen and nectar, like lavender and vipers bugloss, for example. You can also buy wildflower seed bombs, which contain a mix of nectar-rich wildflowers. Simply throw them into your garden and wait for the meadow to bloom.

You could also make or buy a bee hotel, which consists of small hollow cavities for bees to shelter and nest inside.

Finally, avoid harmful chemicals. To get rid of weeds, opt for methods like pulling by hand or pouring boiling water. If you want to use killer, only use it at night, when bees are not out foraging in your garden. You can also find options that are more bee-friendly. Spectracide Weed Stop For Lawns, for example, is atrazine-based, which means it’s less harmful to bees.

2. Opt for vegan honey

While humans love honey (the global market is worth more than $8 billion), bees don’t actually produce it for us to add to smoothies and enjoy on toast. They need it for themselves: it provides them with a valuable source of nutrition throughout the winter.

But there is a way to have honey without taking it from the bees. Vegan honey is becoming more widely available. UK-based brand The Vegan Honey, for example, makes cruelty-free, plant-based, gluten-free honey using fruit sugar and fruit juice.

Other brands include Honea, which also uses sugar and fruit juice to create a honey-like substance that looks and tastes like the real thing, and Coconut Merchant, which creates vegan honey using pure coconut nectar.

3. Keep an eye out for tired bees, and help them

Bees have busy lives, and like us, they get tired. This is more common in built-up areas, where there are fewer flowers and plants to stop and refuel at before they make it back to the hive.

If you’re concerned for a tired bee, you can help revive them with sugar water. But it must be done carefully. Sugar solution is a one-time fix for one tired bee. Leaving it out in the garden all the time could actually do more harm than good.

Beevive, a bee protection brand launched in 2019, explains: “Unlike nutritious pollen and nectar, this solution will not feed the bee larvae properly and can also cultivate bacteria over time. Putting these out for bees will teach them to go there and leave the flowers unpollinated.”

But as a one-off to save a bee in need, sugar water may do the trick. Simply get a spoon and leave the solution (two tablespoons of white sugar to one tablespoon of water) next to the exhausted bee.

Alternatively, you can buy sugar water accessories to keep on your keys so you’re always prepared. Those in the UK can get 10 percent off their very own Bee Revival Kit on the Beevive website – just use the code PBNEWS at checkout. (If you live outside of the UK, you can find the product on Etsy.) Beevive also offers bee hotels and seed balls, and has a wealth of information about bees available on its website.

4. Buy local, organic produce

As we’ve already established, pesticides are the enemy of bees. To avoid produce that has been sprayed with chemicals, choose to buy local, organic fruit and vegetables. (Or grow your own!)

According to the Soil Association, organic food is produced without pesticides, which isn’t just better for bees, but it’s better for us too.

The organization notes: “Scientists increasingly believe there is no safe level of pesticides for humans to be exposed to. Even tiny amounts that the Government currently consider are safe, could be damaging to human health.”

Find out more about pesticide use in farming here.

5. Support bee conservation efforts

The bees need all the support they can get. And thankfully, there are several organizations dedicated to helping with their conservation.

If you have the means, donating to organizations like the Soil Association, Friends of the Earth, the Wildlife Trusts, Buglife, and the Bumblee Conservation Trust is an important way to ensure these precious insects are getting the help they need.

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The post Bee Populations Are Declining, Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help appeared first on Plant Based News.

It’s also a day to show our appreciation for Mother Nature and all the wildlife she sustains. And, to highlight the vital work being done by climate scientists, activists, non-profits, and even plant-based food producers, to name a few, that takes us closer to restoring the planet. 

Earth Day is a reminder to do better. To learn from our mistakes, to carve out innovative ways forward, and an opportunity to look back on the progress we’ve made. And in that way, it’s also a reminder that together, change is possible. 

A disclaimer

It’s important to note that animals losing their endangered status isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes, the loss of such labels causes species to lose their government-instilled protections, too.

For instance, in 2020, when the gray wolf was no longer considered endangered, the Trump administration removed the species’ federal protections. This kickstarted hunts against the species, despite still having relatively unstable population numbers. (In February of this year, the animals were reintroduced to the Endangered Species Act and consequently regained protections).

The species on the below list are no longer listed as endangered. But, like many others, they still face threats (most of which are human-caused). So whilst we celebrate these wins, we must continue fighting for the survival of all species – in the wild, in labs, in our homes, and on farms.

Species that shook off their endangered status

Giant panda

Last year, Chinese officials announced that the country’s national animal, the giant panda, was no longer endangered. In the late 1970s, there were around 1,000 giant pandas living in the wild. But populations have since blossomed, nearly doubling due to government recovery schemes. 

Fun fact: according to WWF, to obtain estimates about panda population numbers, teams of researchers scale through mountainous forests looking for panda dung and chewed bamboo. The latter is particularly useful, because panda bite marks are all unique, like fingerprints.

Giant pandas still face threats, including poaching and habitat loss relating to farming and tourism.

Want to learn more? Check out Pandas International, a non-profit working to protect the species.

Southern white rhinoceros 

WWF considers the southern white rhino a “major conservation success story.”

The herbivorous subspecies – the second-largest land mammal after the elephant – was once thought to be extinct, chiefly due to hunters targeting them for meat and sport. But in 1895, a group of under 100 southern white rhinos were found in Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. 

Now, following a century’s worth of conservation efforts, there are more than 20,000 southern white rhinos on Earth. They live predominantly in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya in protected areas and private game reserves.

They are the only subspecies of rhino that are not endangered. In fact, scientists are hoping that the southern white rhino will play a key role in boosting the population of the critically endangered northern white rhino, of which there are just two remaining (a mother-daughter pair, who live at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya).

Southern white rhinos still need our help. They’re especially at risk of illegal poaching for their horns, particularly in South Africa, to meet demand from Asia (mostly Vietnam and China).

Save the Rhino International is fighting to protect all five rhino subspecies. Learn more here.

Arabian oryx

In the early 1970s, things were looking grim for the Arabian oryx, when hunting had completely wiped out the species in the wild. However, a slew of reintroduction schemes steered population numbers upwards, so that by 2011, the animal became the first to regain vulnerable status after being listed as extinct in the wild. 

Today, there are around 1,200 Arabian oryx living freely in Saudi Arabia, with another up to 7,000 in captivity. 

The unique animals – which can actually smell rain in the distance, and lead their herds towards it for fresh grazing – are still hunted for their meat, horns, and skins.

Fauna & Flora International, thought to be the world’s oldest international conservation organization, had a helping hand in rescuing the species. Learn more about the charity here.

American alligator

Like most examples of animal populations making a comeback, it was a matter of humans undoing the damage we were responsible for in the first place. Still, the fact that American alligators reached the very edge of extinction in the 1950s – after spending 200 millions years on the planet – only to become one of the first endangered species success stories is worth celebrating. 

In 1967, after hunters and poachers drove American alligator numbers down to near-extinct levels, the species was granted federal protections, banning the hunting of the reptiles.

By 1987, they were officially dubbed fully recovered. Now, they’re classified as of least concern (the lowest status there is). There are currently an estimated five million American alligators in the southeastern United States (more than one million of them live in Florida). 

American alligators – which can grow up to 16 feet long – are mainly threatened by habitat loss caused by development. They are also still hunted for their meat and skins, though the trade is now regulated.

The Nature Conservancy restores the wetlands in which alligators reside. You can visit the non-profit’s website here.

Humpback whale

Earlier this year, the majestic humpback whale was removed from Australia’s threatened species list. The whaling industry had pushed numbers down drastically over several decades; at one point, just 1,500 humpbacks were living in Australian waters. Now, an estimated 40,000 individuals reside there, and that figure is still climbing. 

Australia’s ​​Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley assured that despite the listing change, the species will continue to be protected from whaling. Ley named it an example of “what can be achieved through coordinated action.”

“It is a message of hope for the welfare of a number of species,” they said.

Sea Shepherd works tirelessly to protect whales and other marine life in all corners of the world. Learn more about the charity here.

Lake Erie water snake

This water snake only calls one destination home: Lake Erie – which spans 9,910 square miles (25,667 square kilometers). But, in the 1990s, habitat-destroying development and resident-led culls (since locals considered the Lake Erie water snake a pest) saw the species reach the brink of extinction.es is exclusive

In response, the federal government added the water snake to the Endangered Species List in 1999. This made it illegal to kill or injure the snakes, which can live for up to 12 years in the wild. 

In 2011, the Lake Erie water snake population had slithered up to 12,000, and was removed from the list. 

Advocates for Snake Preservation aims to change the way the public view snakes, and promote peaceful coexistence with the animals. You can learn more about the organization on its website.

Bald eagle

The US’ iconic national bird was nearly wiped out after decades of hunting, habitat loss, and the use of DDT, a toxic pesticide that had severely contaminated waterways, then fish, then the animals consuming those fish, including the bald eagle.

By the 1960s, just 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles were alive in the US. The species (which can dive at speeds of 100 miles per hour, or 160 kilometers an hour) was included in the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, and DDT was banned. 

Populations soared, and bald eagles were federally delisted in 2007. 

“The bald eagle is one of the original species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act,” conservation biologist Margaret Fowle told myChamplainValley.com. 

“It was kind of a wake up call with this decline that the bald eagles went through for us to realize some of the things we’re doing to the environment and how they affect the wildlife and the ecosystem.”

The American Eagle Foundation is one non-profit working to keep the national treasure flying high. It also livestreams 24-hour “nest cams,” which can be viewed online for free.

Still want ways to help?

There are a wealth of avenues we, as a society, can take to better protect non-human animals. Global bans on poaching, hunting, and trading wildlife, for example, and heightened penalties for those who violate such laws, are integral approaches.

Comprehensive animal protection legislation and policies are also an important part of the equation. But besides signing petitions and (when possible) donating money, individuals carry more power than one might think.

A report published last month found that eating less meat could help reverse the decline of hundreds of plant and animal species. Researchers stated that increasing intake of fruits and vegetables whilst lowering meat intake could bring “significant health and environmental benefits.”

In fact, if the population of the UK ate an additional handful of vegetables a day, an estimated 407 to 536 species could be protected, the report said.

Indeed, a range of environmental studies have linked animal products to significant deforestation, habitat loss, ocean acidification, and pollution. One sizeable meta-analysis on farming’s environmental on the planet uncovered that plant-based eating is one of the most effective ways to help protect the planet.

The post Animal Species That Are No Longer Endangered, And How To Help Them Stay That Way appeared first on Plant Based News.

While Shein might be among the most successful, it’s not alone. Brands like H&M, Zara, Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, and Cider all rely on this approach. Around the world, 60 billion pieces of clothing and accessories are bought every year. But, according to a 2015 study, they’ll be worn an average of just seven times before they are thrown away.

Most of these items will end up either burned or in the landfill. But materials like polyester⁠—a favorite of fast fashion brands—are made with plastic. This means they don’t biodegrade easily, and when they do, they contaminate the earth, harming both the environment and animals. 

Microplastic pollution from polyester

Polyester is a nightmare for ecosystems. In 2020, one study found that microplastic pollution had decreased the population of tiny creatures, like mites and larvae, that live below the surface of the soil. Plastics have also been found seeping into surrounding waterways, posing a severe risk to the animals that rely on those resources to survive.

But polyester’s hazardous reach extends further than landfill soil. Before clothes are thrown out, they often get a few spins in the washing machine first. And last year, a study found that around 75 percent of microplastic pollution in the arctic is polyester, and much of it probably found itself there via the laundry. 

Shop sustainable fashion brands

Fast fashion is hurting ecosystems and the planet in many ways. Aside from waste and plastic pollution, it also contributes to deforestation (see: the leather industry) and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, when it comes to the latter, the global fashion industry is responsible for up to 10 percent of annual emissions. And it’s getting worse.

Elisa Tonda, the head of the United Nations’ Consumption and Production Unit, said in 2019: “If we carry on with a business-as-usual approach, the greenhouse gas emissions from the industry are expected to rise by almost 50 percent by 2030.”

But as consumers, we don’t have to engage with business as usual. Firstly, we can buy fewer clothes and wear them over and over again to reduce waste. We can also thrift, borrow, and peruse sites like eBay and Depop for second-hand items. But when we do decide to buy new, we can choose sustainable options. And luckily, there are more brands than ever offering vegan, low-waste, ethical fashion choices. Here are some of our top picks. 

1. OhSevenDays

After a stroll through Istanbul’s textile district led her to an untapped supply of deadstock (this is unused or rejected fabric from the fashion industry), Megan Mummery founded OhSevenDays to help you make your wardrobe staples sustainable.

The Turkey-based brand’s designs are chic, summery, and versatile. Take its Reese Reversible Blouse, for example. Made with leftover roll from fabric mills, it can be dressed up or down, depending on whether you choose to pair it with a fitted skirt and heels, or maybe a pair of jeans and your favorite vegan sneakers. 

2. Boyish

Based in California, Boyish is all about offering sustainably produced denim garments at an “attainable price point.” The brand focuses on longevity, ensuring that the quality and fit is of a high standard and can live on in your wardrobe for years to come.

The brand’s Monty Shorts are the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe. They’re made with a variety of low-waste, sustainable materials, including recycled cotton, Refibra (made with recycled scraps), and Tencel (derived from eucalyptus trees). For that chilled, headed-to-the-beach look, just pair with a simple tee and sandals.

3. Lucy & Yak

Known for its quirky dungarees, Lucy & Yak is just as passionate about ethics and sustainability as it is about fun, colorful prints. All of its suppliers pay fair wages. This is in stark contrast to fast fashion brands, many of which have come under fire for exploiting the factory workers who make their clothes. (Just last year, an investigation found Shein’s suppliers making staff work 75-hour weeks for very little pay.) 

Lucy & Yak uses materials like organic twill and organic cotton, as well as low-impact dyes, to make its vibrant designs, like this sunflower-printed Asahi Nagata & Yak Limited Edition Dungaree.

4. Nu-In

If you love fast fashion but don’t love its impact on people and the planet, Nu-In is for you. The brand offers a range of on-trend styles (like this Organic Tie Back Ribbed Knitted Mini Dress and this Recycled Rushed Frill Mini Skirt) for a slightly lower price point than other sustainable brands.

But while it may have a fast fashion-esque aesthetic and the occasional sale, that’s where the comparison stops. Nu-In is passionately against the fast fashion business model, and instead, encourages its customers to buy less and wear more. It states on its website: “We do not condone flash sales that encourage impulse buying of items that may not be needed or wanted and therefore discarded.”

It adds that people should “take the time to consider whether they really want to buy the item rather than buying it just because it’s on sale.”

5. Christy Dawn

In the market for a vintage-style, elegant, and sustainable dress to add to your wardrobe (wedding season is nearly upon us, after all)? Christy Dawn is a good place to start. All of the Los Angeles-based brand’s designs (like this pretty daisy-printed Laura Dress, for example) are created with respect for nature in mind, using deadstock fabric or organic cotton.

Plus, with its Farm-to-Closet initiative, the brand supports a network of local craftspeople and farmers in Erode India, who help to regenerate the land and heal the soil from depletion. 

6. Tala

For gym-goers, Tala is a comfortable, high-performance, sustainable, and ethical choice. Founded by Grace Beverley, a fitness entrepreneur and influencer, all of Tala’s activewear (from sports bras like this Ixia Seamless Zip option to flared yoga pants like these) is created in a transparent supply chain, where suppliers and factories are carefully vetted to check staff are being treated and paid fairly.

Fabrics include Q-Nova (which is made with regenerated waste materials), Lyocell (made from wood pulp), and bamboo. Plus, as a little sustainable extra, all of its tags are filled with seeds for herbs, flowers, or spices.

7. People Tree

People Tree is one of the OGs when it comes to sustainable fashion brands. Founded in 1991 by James and Safia Minney, the brand’s products are made with affordability and style in mind. But ethics or quality are never compromised.

Take these Sasha trousers, for example. The comfy, joggers look cute with a white tee and sneakers for those days when you’re just running errands. They’re also soft, functional (hello deep pockets!), and made with certified organic cotton.

The post This Earth Day, Boycott Fast Fashion And Try These Sustainable Brands Instead appeared first on Plant Based News.

Two years in the making, nine of the 26-part Asian Elephants 101 series world premiered on multiple National Geographic Channels, and the entire series will now stream on UnchainedTV.com.

The 26-part short film series highlights the survival challenges faced by people and elephants, as two dominant species compete for space. 

The episodes focus on key aspects of elephant ecology, the plight of captive elephants, human encroachment into wildlife habitats, climate change, habitat fragmentation, and deforestation.

Elephants VS climate change  

Elephants are the gentle giants that we all love. The biggest animal on earth, and the one that nothing is frightened of. 

But what many don’t realize is that all species of elephants are also ecologically significant. 

They traverse vast areas 16 to 18 hours a day, trampling softwood trees, thus allowing rain and sunshine to penetrate the ground, promoting the growth of hardwood trees that store carbon-di-oxide (a potent greenhouse gas that exacerbates climate change). 

According to the International Monetary Authority, African forest elephants help fight climate change, with each elephant at a carbon value of $1.75 million. 

Elephants also create pathways to waterholes and fodder for other animals, who would otherwise be unable to access these life-giving resources.

Asian elephants play a key role in climate mitigation but according to the IUCN, there are less than 40,000 Asian elephants left on the planet, fully 27,000 in India, their last bastion. 

Saving the Asian elephants of India is critically important to not only saving the species, but also other species in the ecosystem.

Human elephant conflict 

The series explores the serious issues facing Indinal elephants’ fight for survival. 

Human elephant conflict (HEC) is a huge problem for their survival. Due to unprecedented human population growth in India, competition for space is causing humans and elephants to clash. 

Reckless development and land use have decimated 80 percent of wildlife habitats. Famished elephants are forced to leave the forests and venture into croplands to quell their hunger, exacerbating HEC, resulting in senseless tragedies for both humans and elephants.

This in turn triggers retaliatory killings of elephants, and the vicious cycle continues unabated.

Illegal capture

The series also explores another major issue facing the elephants of India — their illegal capture. 

On the one hand, elephants are revered, considered the embodiment of Lord Ganesh – a Hindu God with an elephant face. But on the other hand, they are tortured and exploited for profit behind the veil of culture and religion.

The series aims to influence decision-makers to legislate laws that would take into consideration elephants, wildlife, and the rich biodiversity of India. 

The makers of the series told us:

“We hope that the narratives and visuals will help people understand our intricate connections with and dependence on other species, inspiring attitude, and behavior shifts, motivating people to protect the endangered Asian elephants. 

“The films will help people realize that the survival of elephants in the forests of India is crucial to mitigating climate change globally, demonstrating that what happens in one country reverberates across the planet.”

You can download the UnchainedTV app on your phone or TV streaming device here.

The post Unchained TV Features New Series About The Amazing Asian Elephant appeared first on Plant Based News.

What is palm oil?

Palm oil, which comes from the fruit of oil palms, is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on Earth. 

It’s typically used as a cheap alternative to butter or the hydrogenated vegetable oils you sometimes find in it foods like chocolate, instant noodles, and packaged bread.

In 2019, The Guardian reported that at least one palm oil derivative can be found in 70 percent of personal care items such as shampoo, soap, and makeup.

Where does palm oil come from?

Oil palm trees are native to Africa but they were taken to South-East Asia more than 100 years ago. According to WWF, more than 40 countries produce palm oil, but 85 percent of the world’s supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Palm oil production has skyrocketed over the last few decades. We now produce 71 million tonnes of it each year, which is 35 times more than we produced 50 years ago.

Why is palm oil problematic?

Palm oil is a source of significant deforestation, especially in Indonesia, which is home to 10 to 15 percent of all known mammals, birds, and plants. 

In 2019, 857,000 hectares of land were burned in Indonesia, according to a report by Greenpeace. These activities are the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia. They also threaten ecosystems by contributing to habitat loss and ultimately, biodiversity loss.

“The conclusion is stark: the palm oil sector – like the other high-risk commodity sectors – has been unwilling to reform,” the report reads. “It is part of a broken global food and agriculture system.”

According to The Orangutan Project, nearly 80 percent of orangutan habitat has disappeared in the last two decades. And now, more than 50 percent of orangutans live in unprotected forests that are managed by palm oil, timber, and mining companies.

Orangutans and palm oil

Palm oil is the leading cause of extinction for the critically endangered orangutan species, which shares 96.4 percent of our genes.

More than 6,000 of these great apes die each year, The Orangutan Project reports. This is especially notable given their already low population numbers – around 104,700 Bornean; 13,846 Sumatran; and 800 Tapanuli orangutans are left in the world, according to WWF.

Orangutans aren’t the only ones at risk. Sumatran tigers, who also suffer from palm oil production, are thought to be down to just 400 animals. Pygmy elephants and Sumatran rhinos are at risk, too.

Can palm oil be sustainable?

Oil palms are an efficient crop; producing more oil per land area than any other vegetable oil equivalent. And, palm oil supplies 35 percent of the world’s vegetable oil demand while using just 10 percent of the land.

More organizations (and consumers) are pushing for sustainable production practices. But what does that even look like?

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is the world’s largest association for ethical palm oil production. It developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must meet to receive the Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) label. The criteria include fair working conditions and wages and the protection of local communities’ land and rights.

Areas rich in biodiversity and endangered species are under “strict protection,” according to the RSPO. 

‘Sustainable palm oil is a con’

But not everyone is convinced. A 2020 study assessed the sustainability of all 78 plantations in Indonesia and 173 in Malaysian Borneo that have been certified by the RSPO. Speaking to Mongabay, study co-author Roberto Cazzolla Gatti said that companies can get around regulations by evaluating deforestation at plantations that are already heavily deforested.

“In the case of palm oil sustainability, if you have an already established plantation with small remnants of degraded forests, and you start to certify it on the basis of what the area is in the current time, you will never find signs of environmental impacts later on,” he said.

The study found that in 1999, 85 percent of certified supply bases in Borneo were still forests inhabited by orangutans. Further, 5 to 18 percent of certified supply bases in Sumatra were still inhabited by tigers, rhinos, and elephants between 1985 and 1991.

“This means that the establishment of the sustainable plantations, after [legal or illegal] forest logging, occurred no more than 30 years ago,” Cazzolla Gatti said. “Despite a recent past of habitat degradation, they are certified with a ‘sustainability’ label.”

Others have echoed this sentiment. A post on Greenpeace Aotearoa (Aotearoa is the current Māori name for New Zealand) stated that “certified sustainable palm oil is a con.” Greenpeace USA has called on companies to end their trade with any supplier responsible for ecosystem destruction. It also urged them to publish maps of produce group landholdings and make their supply chains transparent.

To learn more about palm oil and orangutan populations, visit The Orangutan Project.

The post How Palm Oil Is Driving Orangutans To Extinction appeared first on Plant Based News.