hunger: Can veganism mitigate world hunger and starvation? Flashcards
This deck parallels the briefing at: vbriefings.org/hunger.
About this deck: “Can Veganism Mitigate World Hunger and Starvation?” deck.
This deck parallels the briefing at: vbriefings.org/hunger.
—There are no formal citations here, although sources may be mentioned. Full citations with links are provided in the briefing.
—It would be best to read the briefing before studying these cards. Reading the briefing first provides understanding and context.
What is the premise of the briefing at vbriefings.org/hunger?
Moving toward a plant-based food economy will promote a more efficient food system better capable of feeding the world’s starving, hungry, and impoverished.
If you had to summarize the reason that veganism can mitigate world hunger and starvation, what might you say?
Over 75% of the world’s soy and grain is fed to farmed animals, despite the inefficiency of this process, as it takes 24 calories of feed to produce one calorie of human food.
Most feed calories are used for the animals’ daily living rather than producing flesh, dairy, or eggs.
Research suggests that if these crops were fed directly to humans, it could feed 3.5 billion more people globally and 460 million more in the United States, highlighting the potential of a plant-based food economy to address world hunger and starvation.
How many people die from starvation every year, and how many of those are children?
According to the UN, over 9 million people including 3 million children, die from starvation every year.
How many people face hunger along with the challenges of undernourishment or malnutrition, and how many of those are children?
According to the UN, over 700 million, including 350 million children, face hunger along with the challenges of undernourishment or malnutrition.
What is the global human population count (2024)?
8.2 billion. (UN)
When will the population reach 10 billion?
The global population will reach 10.3 billion in the 2080s (UN).
We will need how much more food production to feed everyone in the 2080s?
A rising human population should require at least a proportionate 25% increase in food production in the 2080s (United Nations).
Why are we not producing enough food to feed everyone?
Trick question. We are producing enough to feed everyone. (Bloomberg Analysis)
What are 7 factors that contribute to world hunger and starvation?
Logistics, food waste, war, extreme weather, poverty, food production systems, and pandemics.
What are the key points presented in the briefing that support the assertion that veganism can mitigate hunger and starvation?
- Multiple studies show that we can feed far more people on a plant-based, vegan diet.
- Over 75% of the world’s grains and soy used for food are fed to animals.
- Most of the grains and soy used for animal feed could provide good nutrition to humans.
- The reason we can feed far more on a vegan diet is because animal agriculture is extremely inefficient.
- Many countries export grain, or provide food for animals destined to be eaten by the more affluent, while their own children are starving or hungry.
How many more people could we feed with the calories that are lost to feeding cereals (grains) to animals, according to an IAASTD report (2008)?
3.5 Billion
Who authored and endorsed the IAASTD report referenced in the hunger briefing?
The UN Environment Program, the World Bank, and others authored the report. 58 nations signed off on the report.
The IAASTD report referenced in the hunger briefing said we could “theoretically feed.” billions more. Why does the word “theoretically” not diminish the strength of the finding?
The word “theoretically” just means the estimates are based on modeling. That has to be the case because it would be impossible to conduct an experiment to test the conclusions.
The World Resources Institute says it takes on average how many calories of plant feed to produce one calorie of food from animals?
24.
If we fed people the grain now fed to livestock just in the United States, now many people could we feed?
Almost 800 million, according to a Cornell University Ecologist.
What is the population of the United States?
338 million in 2023 (Census Bureau)
According to a report in Environmental Research Letters, how much could we increase production in calories by growing crops for direct human consumption?
70%. The report also says we could feed an additional 4 billion people.
How can we “produce up to 20 times more nutritionally similar food on the same of amount of land?”
By “replacing all animal-based items with plant-based replaced diets.” (a study by two environmental scientists, a physicist, and a molecular biologist)
What percentage of the world’s course grains and soy used for food are fed to animals?
Over 75%
Name 6 coarse grains.
—corn
—oats
—barley
—sorghum
—millet
—rye
Are coarse grains edible by humans?
Yes, and not only that, they are important for maintaining human health according to a study published in PubMed.
Is field corn used only for animal feed, as is widely believed? What is field corn called in some cultures?
No, field corn (as opposed to sweet corn) can be eaten by humans and is in several cultures.
Field corn is called maize in some cultures.
What is the difference between maize and field corn?
They are essentially the same botanically. In usage, “maize” usually refers to corn to be eaten by humans, while “field corn” usually refers to corn to be used as feed for animals.
What is the difference between soybeans fed to animals and those used for human consumption?
Nothing, but they are processed differently.
Why could we feed vastly more people on a plant-based food economy?
Because animal agriculture is extremely inefficient in converting feed into meat, dairy, and eggs.
Why is animal agriculture inefficient?
Because most of the feed calories consumed by an animal go toward energy for daily living. Also, some energy is spent to produce body parts that are not consumed.
Why did The Guardian call the Joseph Poore Oxford Study of 2018 “the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet?”
Because it examined 38,700 farms in 119 countries, representing 90% of the world’s protein and calorie consumption.
What percentage of global farmland does animal agriculture use?
83% (Joseph Poore Oxford Study 2018)
In using 83% of the global farmland, animal agriculture produces what percents of total calories?
18% (Joseph Poore Oxford Study 2018)
In using 83% of the global farmland, animal agriculture produces what percent of protein calories?
37% (Joseph Poore Oxford Study 2018)
Animal agriculture uses ____ of global farmland while producing only ___ of total calories and ___ of calories from protein.
Animal agriculture uses 83% of global farmland while producing only 18% of total calories and 37% of calories from protein. (Joseph Poore Oxford Study 2018)
Only ___ of farmland is used to grow food for human consumption, yet produces ___ of total calories and ___ of calories from protein
Only 17% of farmland is used to grow food for human consumption, yet produces 82% of total calories and 63% of calories from protein (Joseph Poore Oxford Study 2018) [logical converse]
Calorie Conversion: On average, how many calories of plant feed does it take to produce one calorie of food from animals?
- (World Resources Institute)
Feed Conversion by weight: How many pounds of feed does it take to produce one pound of food made from animal flesh and secretions?
4-6. (World Resources Institute)
Why do feed conversion ratios based on pounds understate the inefficiency of animal agriculture?
Because it “improperly compares the weight of a relatively wet output [meat, dairy, and eggs] to the weight of a relatively dry input [feed grains]” (World Resources Institute). Calorie conversion ratios are a more accurate measure.
According to a University of Minnesota study, what percentage of crops fed to animals contribute to the human diet as meat and other animal products?
12%
What did Phillip Wollen, a philanthropist and a former Vice-President of Citibank, said about world hunger?
“As I travel around the world, I see poor countries sell their grain to the West while their own children starve in their arms.”
Name two authors who have claimed that 80% or more of the world’s hungry and starving children live in countries where feed is fed to animals that will be eaten by people in more affluent countries?
Jeremy Rifkin and Dr. Richard Oppenlander.
What counterclaims are addressed in the briefing?
- We already produce enough to feed everyone.
- 86% of the global livestock feed intake is made of materials that are inedible by humans.
- Increased grazing, particularly holistic, regenerative grazing, can help with the problem because grazed animals do not require feed.
- As there are starving people, we should put them first over non-human animals (tangential).
- It would be impossible or difficult for people in some cultures to give up animal products because of a lack of alternatives.(tangential).
Why does that fact that we already produce enough to feed everyone not negate the claim that veganism can mitigate the problem?
—It seems naive to think that the ability to feed billions more with a plant-based food economy would not help because some of that additional food would likely reach the hungry and starving.
—A rising human population should require a proportionate 25% increase in food production by the 2080s, suggesting we might not be able to feed everyone forever.
What can be said of the claim that 80% or more of the world’s hungry and starving children live in countries where feed is fed to animals that will be eaten by people in more affluent countries?
It seems almost criminal that starving and hungry people, be they children or adults, do not have access to food grown locally—food that is instead used to profit the animal agriculture industry.
How do the benefits of eliminating supply chain food waste compare to the benefits of replacing animal-based food with plant-based food?
“The benefits of replacing animal-based food with plant-based food are well above the expected benefits of eliminating all supply chain food waste [which includes logistics], according to an analysis of opportunity costs” (a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by two environmental scientists, a physicist, and a molecular biologist).
What is one reason there may be less waste with plant-based foods?
Because they can be stored longer and refrigeration is less important (particularly nuts, grains, and seeds).
What study stated that “86% of the global livestock feed intake is made of materials that are inedible by humans.” Explain.
No study. That was a misquote by Sacred Cow and possibly others.
The Science Direct analysis instead says, “86% is made of materials that are currently not eaten by humans,” not materials that humans cannot eat.
Why is the distinction between materials that are “not eaten by humans” and those that are inherently “inedible” important?
If the calculation of the percentage of feed that was inedible by humans was based on the inherent edibility of feed materials, the percentage of non-edible feed could differ significantly from the 86% figure.
In stating that “86% of the global livestock feed intake is made of materials that are inedible by humans,” why is that fact that the “86% figure is based on feed weight, not calories, important?
If the analysis was by calories, the 86% figure would be considerably lower as the non-edible portion of animal feed is typically composed of materials such as crop residues, food waste, and by-products from food processing.
These are generally lower in caloric content compared to edible feed sources such as grains and legumes.
Other than the hunger counterclaim that “86% of the global livestock feed intake is made of materials that are inedible by humans.” being a misquote, what other facts are pertinent (5)?
The 86% claim, even if true, would not change the findings that:
—Over 75% of the world’s grains and soy used for food are fed to animals.
—With plant-based foods we could feed an additional 3.5 billion globally and another 400 million in the US.
—Livestock are highly inefficient at converting feed into meat.
—Much of the land used to grow silage and fodder crops (such as corn, barley, and alfalfa) for feed could also be used to grow crops for human consumption
—It takes on average 24 calories of plant feed to produce one calorie of food from animals.
What are some problems with the idea that grazing can help with hunger and starvation because grazed animals do not require feed (2)?
—We simply don’t have enough land—the US has enough pasture to support only 27% of the current beef production.” (Environmental Research Letters)
—Grazed animals are often fed grains even while grazing and then moved to a feedlot to be fed grains for 4 to 6 months of their 18-month existence before being slaughtered.
What could be said of the tangentially related claim that as there are starving people, we should put them first over non-human animals (2)?
—You can feed far more with a plant-based food economy, so this point is moot.
—Even if you could not feed more people with plants, it’s possible to care about and act on more than one problem.
What could be said of the tangentially related claim that it would be impossible or difficult for people in some cultures to give up animal products because of a lack of alternatives (2)?
—This is true, but irrelevant to most of the people reading this.
—It would be disingenuous for someone to proclaim, for example, that because goat herders in Afghanistan can’t do it, they are not even going to consider it.
What area currently has the greatest number of undernourished, and how is this expected to change?
While Asia currently has the greatest number of undernourished (381 million), by 2030.
It is expected that Africa will have the most. (United Nations).
Name 3 ways the topic of hunger and starvation is relevant to animal rights and veganism?
—It is not unusual for someone to dismiss veganism by stating that as long as there are starving people, we should put them first over non-human animals.
—The ability of veganism to have a positive impact on world hunger is often overlooked as one of the merits of veganism, yet perhaps should be included alongside animal ethics, the environment, and other public and personal human health issues.
—Some industry sources have at least implied that animal agriculture is necessary for producing enough food for everyone.
What are some additional resources that could provide a deeper understanding of this hunger topic (5)?
—The website “A Well-Fed World” provides research and analysis on how “a global shift towards plant-based foods more efficiently uses crops and natural resources to nourish people and cool the climate.”
—Mic the Vegan’s YouTube video “A Solution to World Hunger?” provides “a look at some well-documented and major inefficiencies in the global food distribution that are by driven by food choice plus how to fix them.”
—A multi-discipline report with recommendations for agriculture titled The IAASTD Report—Agriculture at a Crossroads is the work of the United Nations Environment Program.
—The article ““10 Facts About Child Hunger in The World by the UN World Food Program, will give you a better understanding of the impacts of hunger on children.
—A research article “The Opportunity Cost of Animal Based Diets Exceeds All Food Losses” explores the opportunity cost of animal agriculture, and as such, indirectly addresses hunger.
Instead of saying “animal agriculture causes hunger and starvation,” say what instead?
Veganism promotes a more efficient food system better capable of feeding the world’s starving, hungry, and impoverished” or “the opportunity cost of animal agriculture contributes to hunger and starvation.”
In discussing hunger and starvation, how can you segue the conversation back to animal ethics?
You can pivot the conversation back to animal ethics by skillfully asking questions that show the relationship between hunger and animal ethics.
—“We talk a lot about people suffering from hunger, and rightfully so. But there are also billions of animals suffering in factory farms—terrified, confined, and ultimately slaughtered. Why not choose a diet that helps both?”
—“Just like it’s unfair for some people to go hungry while we waste food on animal agriculture, it’s also unfair to breed and slaughter animals just because we can. Injustice against humans and injustice against animals often stem from the same mindset—that their suffering doesn’t matter enough to take action.”
—“If we can feed more people on a plant-based diet and reduce suffering at the same time, why wouldn’t we? And since we don’t need to eat animals, what ethical justification is there for doing so?”
—“It’s tragic that so much food is wasted by feeding animals in factory farms. But beyond the inefficiency, we have to ask—what justifies slaughtering billions of animals when we don’t have to?”
—“The fact that animal agriculture contributes to world hunger shows how flawed the system is, but at the heart of it is another injustice—the exploitation and killing of animals who don’t want to die.”
Why?Thiskeeps the focus on ethicsinstead of letting them use this argument as a distraction.
In discussing hunger and starvation, how can you shift the focus from distribution to production?
People might say, “Hunger isn’t caused by lack of food; it’s a distribution issue.”
—“You’re right—hunger is about access, not just production. But why are we funneling food through animals first when that makes access even harder?”
—“Even if we fixed all distribution problems, we’d still be wasting huge amounts of food by cycling it through animals first. Shouldn’t we address both issues at once?”
Why? This prevents the person from dismissing the issue by shifting blame elsewhere.
In discussing hunger and starvation, how can you show the inequity in food production and distribution?
People often don’t realize that poor countries export food to wealthier nations while their own people go hungry.
—“Did you know that some of the poorest countries grow food for wealthier nations’ livestock instead of feeding their own people?”
“82% of starving children live in countries where food is being grown to feed animals for wealthier consumers. Does that seem fair to you?”
Why? This makes them feel the injustice rather than just hearing numbers.
In discussing hunger and starvation, how can you address the “not everyone can be vegan” counterclaim?
Some people will say, “Not everyone can be vegan, especially in poorer countries.” While true, this doesn’t justify inaction for those who have a choice.
—”That’s true—but does that mean those of us with easy access to plant foods shouldn’t make better choices?”
—”If some people rely on animal agriculture for survival, that’s all the more reason for the rest of us to free up resources so they don’t have to.”
Why? This defuses the excuse while reaffirming the ethical stance.
In discussing hunger and starvation, how can you challenge the idea that food grown for animals can’t be eaten by humans?
Many believe that crops grown for animal feed aren’t suitable for humans—but this is misleading.
—“Most of the grains fed to animals—corn, soy, oats—could feed people. If we used that land to grow food for humans instead, wouldn’t that help?”
—“If 24 calories of plant feed give us only 1 calorie of meat, how does that help feed a growing world?”
Why? This forces them to rethink efficiency rather than assuming animal agriculture is necessary.
In discussing the hunger and starvation, how can you flip the argument that we should care about people first?
Some will say, “We should care about starving people before we care about animals.” But in reality, veganism helps people, too.
—“I completely agree that we should care about starving people. That’s one reason I’m vegan—because plant-based food systems can feed billions more people.”
Why? This turns their moral argument in favor of veganism instead of against it.
