There has been a long myth (and misunderstanding) that meat is adverse and hazardous to our health and the environment. Cows and livestock are proved to increase the output of methane through its digestion, which are the most potent substance in trapping heat from the sun and is the most destructive greenhouse gas. Also, raising livestocks and animals also equal the abandonment of land use for crops, water, soil or even deforestation. Therefore, many people have resorted to a new way of eating – vegan and vegetarianism. However, how much does this lifestyle actually help us to promote sustainability and environment friendliness?

As a report on the Guardian written by Isabella Tree has cited that using meat, but sustainable form of meat, can be counted as a viable option towards the quest for environmental protection. Firstly, animals produce the type of soil that is environmental friendly. Before the advent of pesticides and chemicals, animal grazing is still the prevalent method. “ The grazing livestock”, as she put it, “ not only provide farmers with an income, but the animals’ dung, urine and even the way they graze, accelerates soil restoration”, which she claimed afterwards is a vital process in the ecosystem restoration. This way of utilizing gazing is also reported to be beneficial to produce meat that is healthy for human, instead of the inorganic, grain-fed products that we use for animals, which brings advantageous substance for the body, such as “vitamins E and b, conjugated linoleic acid or long chain omega-3-fatty acid DHA”, a important substance for brain development in which vegan product deprives of.

In addition to this, contrary to the popular belief, unless the vegan products are from organic, people are also participating in the destruction and erosion of soil biota, and an unbalance ecosystem lacking other species, such as reptiles, small mammals, or birds

Furthermore, the author also stated the use of angelica, common fumitory, or bird’s foot trefoil that contains within themselves a substance helping to reduce methane by 70%

Although there is no doubt that eating meat should be alleviated in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, using plant as an alternative for meat due to environmental concerns is both undue and unnecessary, cause sometimes there are substances prominent to our immune system and digestion that vegan products cannot produce.

This is the article that I used for reference in writing this report in case you want to read and know more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/25/veganism-intensively-farmed-meat-dairy-soya-maize?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1JYHRCcJSzHHkKm9E_QqJWXpNtV_ERxa09wID_Ul1BAQGocZpMSDYxtSE