kurt schmidinger – geophysicist & food scientist global consequences of our nutritional...

Kurt Schmidinger – www.futurefood.org

Geophysicist & Food Scientist

Global consequences of our nutritional habits & livestock

The global consequences of our nutritional habits

- The consequences of the worldwide production of 65 billion farm animals per year on the environment and

climate, global nutrition, animal welfare and human health – and possible alternatives!




Livestock / Consumption of animal products

Global consequences – the major 4:

Environment (incl. climate)

Human health

Animal rights and animal welfare

World nutrition / world hunger




Environment / Climate

Film: Mechanisms of the greenhouse effect – described in simple form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxheREfgUGY

Film: Veggie-Day as a first political measure: Already existing in Gent (BE), Bremen (DE), Sao Paolo (BR), San Francisco (US), Washington DC (US), Kapstadt (ZA), Zagreb (HR)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj80Lfoh2_c




World hunger / environment

Meat = lengthened food chain => requires 5-15 times more areas, plants, water etc. to feed humans (Exception: Pure pasture management of ruminants, which on the other hand requires huge areas, causes much of the methane-issues, furthermore only small share of global production).





Input / Output: 1 out of 7 calories converted to meat, what happens with the rest?

Metabolic losses inevitable (compare humans), Bread example, livestock first of all an efficient production of excrements, meat as „side product“, by far biggest waste of food globally, 1/3 of world harvest (cereals+soya) converted to excrements!




« The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution and loss of biodiversity. Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and its potential contribution to their solution is equally large. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency. Major redutions in impact could be achieved at reasonable cost »

Livestock’s Long Shadow, FAO 2006

Environment: Climate, water, erosion, land consumption, ...

Land consumption, water consumption, water pollution, rainforest destruction

Climate, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, air pollution




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According to the FAO, the livestock-sector is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than total worldwide traffic

(aeroplanes, cars, trucks, trains, ...): Methane (CH4): digestion of ruminants, …

Nitrous Oxide (N2O): fertilizer, manure, …

Carbon dioxide (CO2): fire clearing of rainforests etc.

Environment: Climate change (1)




Interdisciplinary Study NL: Worldwide Reduction (definition see paper) of consumption of animal products saves

20 000 000 000 000 US$ (=50%)of climate stabilisation costs (Aim: GHG concentration levels 2050 same as today) - enough to build 130 million one-family houses at the cost of US$ 150 000 each - new houses for whole Europe!

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Reasons:

1. Saving of the CO2, N2O and CH4-emissions from

livestock,

2. Vastly reduced land consumption, partly regrowing forests, bushes => huge CO2-sink due to regrowing forests

=> climate protection “almost for free”!

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16573-eating-less-meat-could-cut-climate-costs.html




Interdisciplinary Study NL: Worldwide Reduction (definition see paper) of consumption of animal products saves

32 000 000 000 000 US$ (=80%)of climate stabilisation costs (Aim: GHG concentration levels 2050 same as today) - enough to build > 200 million one-family houses at the cost of US$ 150 000 each - new houses for whole Europe, Russia, Australia, Canada!

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Reasons:

1. Saving of the CO2, N2O and CH4-emissions from

livestock,

2. Vastly reduced land consumption, partly regrowing forests, bushes => huge CO2-sink due to regrowing forests

=> climate protection “almost for free”!





Fire clearance of rainforestsPastures for cattle

Feed monocultures (85% of global soy harvest as animal feed)

CO2-emissions due to fire clearances

or later: agricultural areas prevent that woods can function as CO2-sink (CO2-“sponge”)

Environment: Rainforest destruction




Environment: Excrements

Enormous amounts, more than humans produce - no wonder as farm animal population > 25 billion (> 3 times number of humans) and “production” of 65 billion farm animals per year.

Manure – water pollution worldwide




# Tierhaltung: 51%, 18%, <5% - was stimmt ??

Warum kommen Studien zur Auswirkung von Tierhaltung / Fleischkonsum aufs Weltklima auf so dramatisch unterschiedliche Ergebnisse?

Worldwatch 51%,

FAO 18%,

einige behaupten < 5%, z.B. für die USA die U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2008) (U.S. EPA. 2008. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006. U.S. EPA, Washington, DC. )





1. Die Methoden (LCA, ökolog. Fußabdruck, ...)– LCA “blind” für Flächenverbrauch, misst nur THG-

Emissionen– Footprint misst alles in Flächen (gha): Flächen die wir

direkt brauchen, und auch Flächen (Wald), die nötig wären/sind, um z.B. unsere THG-Emissionen wieder zu binden und aus der Atmosphäre zu bringen. Tierhaltung hier also durch zwei Faktoren: THG-Emissionen und direkte Flächen (Tierhaltung 80% der landwirtsch. Flächen weltweit)

– “missed carbon sink” durch Flächenverbrauch im Footprint de facto drinnen, in LCAs (noch?) gar nicht




# Tierhaltung: 51%, 18%, <5% - was stimmt ??Interdisziplinäre Studie NL: Weltweiter Verzicht auf Tierhaltung spart

32.000.000.000.000 US$ (=80%)an Klimastabilisierungskosten (Ziel: Treibhausgaskonzentration 2050 in etwa so wie heute). Das entspricht > 200 Millionen Einfamilienhäusern zu je 150.000 US$!! Neue Häuser für ganz Europa, Russland, Australien, Kanada!

Gründe:

1. Wegfall der CO2, N2O und CH4-Emissionen aus

Tierhaltung,

2. weitaus geringerer Flächenbedarf, z.T. Wiederbewaldung => riesige CO2-Senke durch

nachwachsende Wälder => Klimaschutz fast zum Nulltarif!


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2. Überzählige oder fehlende Faktoren in der Bilanz

– Z.B. Worldwatch rechnet Atmung der Tiere mit (CO2 entsteht), aber nicht CO2-Aufnahme durch die Futtermittel-Pflanzen: Beides bildet aber einen kurzlebigen Kreislauf, ein Nullsummenspiel, entweder ich zähl beides, oder lass es (als Nullsumme) gleich weg aus der Bilanz. Nur eines in die Bilanz aufzunehmen ist falsch.

– Österreichs Landwirtschaft lässt gern die importierten Futtermittel aus der Bilanz raus.





3. Landänderungen (v.a. Regenwaldbrandrodung/-abholzung) – tendenziöse Zuordnung zu Ursachen

– Ziel: Fleisch kein Klimakiller: „Ursache Landspekulationen o.ä., spätere Nutzung für Futtermittel oder Rinderweiden hat mit Emissionen aus Zerstörung nichts mehr zu tun“

– Ziel: Fleisch ist Klimakiller: „Ursache natürlich Futtermittel und Weideland, auch Landspekulation wäre ohne spätere Nutzung für diese Zwecke nicht möglich“.

– Spielen kann man auch mit weiteren Schräubchen wie dem Zeitraum, über den man diese Emissionen den Produkten anlastet.





4. GWP-Zeithorizonte– Global Warming Potential

Methan = 72 CO2-Eq. Methan = 25 CO2-Eq.

20 Jahre 100 Jahre

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5. “Tierhaltungssysteme der Zukunft effizienter!“ ??– Oft wird argumentiert, je produktiver/hochgezüchteter ein

Tier, umso weniger THG-Emissionen pro Kilogramm Fleisch/Milch/Eier.

– Achtung, viele andere Faktoren: Welternährung („effiziente Nutztiere“ sind Nahrungskonkurrenten, keine Weidetiere), Verknappung der Ackerflächen, Biodiversität, Bodenerosion, Wasserverschmutzung, Tierschutz ... kein gangbarer Weg





Hauptschraube (deckt 1.-5. ab): Politische Absicht!

Wie groß ist der Klimaeffekt der Tierhaltung weltweit

wirklich? – Diskussion anhand der FAO- und Worldwatch-Zahlen und der 5

Punkte und grobe Einschätzung.

– 1. FAO lässt methodisch „missed carbon sink“ aus: sehr relevant.

– 2. Bilanzfaktoren bei FAO weitgehend korrekt, Worldwatch-Fehler

– 3. Zuordnung Landänderung: FAO bemüht um Objektivität

– 4. Evtl. GWP 50 Jahre, FAO dann moderat zu niedrig (Methan)

– 5. Theoret. FAO zu hoch, aber industrielle Tierhaltung Sackgasse





In vielen Bereichen Spielräume, kein richtig und falsch

Aber ich schätze es auf:

20 – 30 % des globalen Klimaeffekts




Planet Earth2013




World hunger

Of 7 billion humans 800 000 000 suffer from hunger, among these are 200 000 000 children.

25 000 people die from malnutrition each day.

FAO-Report “Crop Prospects and Food Situation” 2008: 754 million tons of cereals are fed to farm animals each year (with a yield of

1:7 for calorie-conversion this is a loss of calculated 650 million tons of cereals for human nutrition) – soy, etc. not yet included

Compare: Due to biofuel production (2nd biggest problem for loss of calories at croplands) we lose “only” 100 million tons of cereals for human nutrition




World hunger

FAO-Report “Crop Prospects and Food Situation” 2008: 754 million tons of cereals are fed to farm animals each year (with a yield

of 1:7 for calorie-conversion this is a loss of calculated 650 million tons of cereals for human nutrition). Soy, etc. not yet included.

Compare: Due to biofuel production (2nd biggest problem for loss of calories at croplands) we lose “only” 100 million tons of cereals for human nutrition.




The biomass of all farm animals exceeds the mass of all wild vertebrates on land by a factor of 20!! Source: V. Smil The Earth‘s Biosphere

25 billion alive at a moment65 billion slaughtered per year





Food waste during the production of animal based foodAnimal derived foods: Food chain with 3 (plant animal human) instead of 2 elements (plant human) => inefficient

> 10 plant calories for 1 calorie of beef > 5 plant calories für 1 calorie of pork > 3 plant calories für 1 calorie of poultry


1/3 of world harvest (soy + cereals) converted to excrements (with an upward tendency) !!





Meat = lengthened food chain => requires 5-15 times more areas, plants, water etc. to feed humans (Exception: Pure pasture management of ruminants, which on the other hand requires huge areas, causes much of the methane-issues, furthermore only small share of global production).




Short food chain plant human could release enormous areas globally: Possibilities to use these:

Regrowing vegetation could absorb huge amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere (see slides earlier, interdisciplinary study NL): Massive contribution to climate stabilisation

Growing of maize for renewable plastic alternatives without causing a global food crisis

Photovoltaics for energy production, maybe even biofuels would make sense again

...





Livestock and the cultivation of feed require:

= almost 80% of total global agricultural land (cropland plus pastures)

= 30% of total land surface of the earth

= 2/3 OF ALL areas used by humans globally

Source: FAO, 2006; Goodland R. et al,1999





# Fazit…

7 Milliarden Menschen essen 65 Milliarden Tiere pro Jahr

über 65 Milliarden Nutztiere verbrauchen 40% der Getreide- und 85% der Sojaernte weltweit, konvertieren 1/3 der Welternte in Exkremente

dafür werden 80% der landwirtschaftlichen Flächen verwendet

diese Ernten und das Land könnten weit effizienter für direkte menschliche Ernährung verwendet werden

Menschen in den Industrieländern sind übergewichtig und sterben an Zivilisationskrankheiten als Folge dieser Überernährung




The future?




Environment

Average water consumption / kg .…

potatoes 500 litres

wheat 900 litres

soybeans 2 000 litres

beef 15 000 litres

Please interpret these numbers with caution, more details (green, blue, grey water-footprint) beyond the scope of this presentation




Health: What means ...

vegetarian: No meat, no fish, but milk and dairy products and eggs.

vegan: no animal products at all, i.e. no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, ...

further forms like raw food, macrobiotics, frutarism, ...




Maybe at least meat is healthy ... ?

Vegan instead of ears!




Maybe at least meat is healthy ... ?




Health – take care of Of what should we especially take care of?Especially for vegan/vegetarian diets:

Mix Proteins: Cereals (short of lysine or threonine but good source for methionine), nuts/oat flakes/cacao (much tryptophan) and legumes (rich in all but methionine)

Minerals: Calcium, iron, zinc

Vitamins: Take care of Vit. B12, possibly also D (especially in winter)

Omega-3-fatty acids: Linseed oil (do not heat!) as a good source. Alternative: EPA- und DHA-containing algae supplement (food supplement)

=> Interesting values for blood-tests especially for vegans/vegetarians: Vit. B12 + D + folic acid, calcium, iron+ferritin, zinc, homocysteine, HDL:LDL-quotient




And these are especially important advantages again especially for vegan diets:

De facto all worldwide pandemics of the last decades (bird flu, swine flu, EHEC, BSE, ...) and of the future (...,...,...) from intensive livestock farms: Billions of animals packed together, bad housing, bad immune system, ... => without livestock avoidable!

Antibiotic resistance from intensive livestock farms (“factory farming”) would be avoidable

Bacterial food poisoning (salmonellosis, E Coli, etc.) mostly a problem with animal products => avoidable

You get far less of these “evils”: Cholesterol, arachidonic acid, purines, saturated fatty acids, also free radicals/ox.stress, ...

You get more of these “good things”: Vitamin C+E, fibres (whole meal) and phytochemiclas (fruits!, vegetables!, antioxidative effects etc.)

Health – veggies celebrate!




Health – factory farming Industrial livestock farms can harm humans, think of antibiotic resistance, but also this:

and swine flu ?

and .... ?




Health – “meat sicknesses” (1)

The (high) consumption of animal products is linked to the following sicknesses:

Cardiovascular diseases (Oxford Studies, 7th Day Adventists study, studies of the ADA, Uni Gießen, Bundesgesundheitsamt Berlin, u.v.m.)

Colon Cancer (American Cancer Society, Univ. Oxford, Univ. San Diego, Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg), breast cancer (Harvard Medical School), prostate cancer (PCRM, Washington DC), gastric cancers (EPIC)




Health – “meat sicknesses” (2)

Osteoporosis (!) (UC San Francisco, USDA-ARS)

Multiple sclerosis (CHRU Grenoble)

Gallstones

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity

Allergies

Rheumatoid Arthritis (UUH Oslo)Links to the papers www.futurefood.org For the world Health




Ergebnisse der Nationalen

Ernährungsumfrage:

Zu wenig Gemüse

Zu wenig Obst

Zu wenig Ballaststoffe

Zu wenig Flüssigkeit

Zu viel Süßes / Alkohol

Zu viel Fleisch

Aktueller EntwurfGesundheitsvorsorge-Plan

Mehr Gemüse!

Mehr Obst!

Mehr Ballaststoffe!

Mehr trinken!

Weniger Süßes / Alkohol

??

# Gesundheit: in Belgien




Health – Veggie also for Kids, ..?!

Vegetarian diets with milk (and eggs) are widely accepted: They reduce many – but do not avoid all – problems caused by animal products.

A deliberate vegan diet avoids all disadvantages of animal products and avoids the disadvantages of a non-deliberate vegan diet optimum

For infants:

ADA (the world biggest dietetic association) and others recommend a vegan diet for all stages of the life cycle, others are more sceptical.

Vegan mothers have to be well nourished and should breast feed the child

For small and big children: Pay attention to slide

=> Health – take care of !... and then make use of the benefits!




Animal welfare

Most mother sows in Europe, China or the US live like that

… and almost all fattening pigs like this




Animal welfare – “factory farming life”

Before birth: Animals bred with extreme characteristics detrimental to the health for highest egg-, milk- or meat-production.

Immediately after birth:

Male laying-hen chicken gassed or killed otherwise

Dairy calves separated from mothers shortly after birth

Mutilations shortly after birthbeak trimming,

dehorning,

clipping of teeth and tails

castration globally mainly performed without

anaesthesia





Life

Tiny cages (laying hens, rabbits, quails, mother sows, …)

Tethered: Many dairy cows

Kept densely packed: Fattening pigs, broiler chickens, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, …

Often strong stench (smell)

• Individual :Force feeding (e.g. goose- or duck fatty liver) with 1/5 of the live weight of the ducks and geese per day.

Injured animals left to die from injuries or thirst in cages or outside boxes …

Broiler chicken “runts” die of thirst

Technical failures / fire lead to mass deaths, usually no evacuation possible





And the end?Transport to slaughterhouses, sometimes half way around the world, (e.g.

sheep or cattle from Australia to Egypt)

Slaughterhouse: Often stunning does not work, and billions are also butchered kosher/halal

without intended stunning

Individuals (pigs, poultry) live until they reach the tanks where they are scalded

Some species are boiled alive (such as lobsters)

Undercover investigations also show abuse and sadism carried out on animals

Compare with golden rule of ethics: „One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated“.





Films / DocumentariesDocumentaries 10-25 minutes:

Meet your Meat (USA, but in many aspects similar conditions in Europe, too): http://www.meat.org/

Intensive pig farming, focus on Austria (German): http://www.tierrechtsfilme.at/langfilme/schweinehaltung_lucie/lucie.htm

Force feeding of ducks and geese (forbidden in many countries, but imported almost everywhere): http://www.vierpfoten.org/website/output.php?id=1177&idcontent=1909&language=2





Films / Documentaries95 minutes documentary:

„Earthlings“: http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings

Awarded comic (short) – The Meatrix: http://www.themeatrix.com/




Animal welfare – “impressions”




Livestock / consumption of animal products is the biggest ... on earth !!

land consumer

water consumer

water contaminator

contributor to rainforest destruction

food-wasterfood-waster

cause of billionfold suffering of animals

risk factor for food poisonings

risk factor for global pandemics

one of the biggest or the biggest ... on earth!!

factor in loss of biodiversity

cause for soil erosion

risk factor for lifestyle diseases

risk factor for antibiotic resistances

is one of the biggest ... on earth!!

climate killers

air polluter




„With each meal the earth is at stake“ If too much meat is a big part of the problems, we should modernise our nutrition as part of the solutions




The reasonsEnvironment (climate)

Health

Animal welfare

World nutrition / hunger

www.futurefood.org - alternatives to animals products




Human reason / ethics ????

Top-products as alternatives to animal products ??

Food shortages (climate?) / concurrency of non-food croplands (plastic alternatives made of maize, biofuels) ??

Antibiotic-resistances from intensive livestock facilities ???

Serious new pandemics from intensive livestock facilities ?

What could lead to a collapse of the „factory farming“ practices?




Flavour: Taste, aroma, smell, texture, satiety feeling, ...

Price

Marketing, target groups, advertising

Health

Shelf life / hygiene / logistic advantages

Success criteria?




“Vegetarian meat”: All raw materials to replace meat“Non dairy milk products”: All raw materials to replace dairy milk, cheese, joghurt etc.“Replace egg products”: All raw materials to replace egg products

www.futurefood.org Alternatives to animal products




Wheat: Wheat gluten (seitan)Soy: Soya meat (TVP), tofu, tempeh, sprouted soybeansSweet lupinesFresh mushroomsFermented fungi, e.g. QuornAlgae Rice, peas

Vegetarian meat




Tofurky (Turtle Islands Foods):Oregon, USA

Sausages, roasts and others, based on tofu and wheat gluten, but also tempeh.

Gardein (Garden Protein Int.):British Columbia, Canada

"Chicken"-wings,-filets,-breasts und-stripes, skewers and more,

Based on soy protein and wheat gluten.

Some top brands veget. meat




Fry’s:South Africa

Huge variety of vegetarian meat alternatives, based on

soy protein and wheat protein.

and many others

Some top brands veget. meat




Drinks (“milk”), yoghurts, cream, sour cream made from soy, oat, almond, rice, coco, quinoa, millet, spelt, barley, kamut.Often fortified with B2, B12, D2, calcium, A, B6, folic acid, E Ice cream from soy, rice, etc. “Cheese” from soy protein, pea protein, tofu, potato starch, rice starch, soy oil, other plant based fats and oils, nut butter, thickening agents, yeast, but also: tapioca- u. arrowroot flour, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, coconut oil, etc.Desserts, confectionaries, margarine ...

Plant based alternatives to dairy products




Some top brands for dairy alternatives

Alpro / ProvamelBelgium, but also Germany, UK

European market leader, huge variety, mostly based on soy, to a

lesser extent on rice, almond or oat,

Provamel is the brand for the organic product range

Turtle MountainOregon, USA

„So Delicious” and “Purely Decadent”, ice cream, frozen desserts,

based on soy




Some top brands for dairy alternatives

ValsoiaItaliy

Drinks, Desserts, ice cream, confectionary based on soy, partly

also rice, also vegetarian meat products (burgers, sausages cutlets, …)

DaiyaCanada

Cheese alternatives, also cooperation with other veggie-food-

producers (e.g. as pizza cheese), unique composition: tapioca-

and arrowroot flour, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein




Alternatives to egg products for the industry: About 10 companies in the US, NL, UK and others. Made of gelling and thickening agents (alginate, carrageen, guar flour, locust bean gum, xanthan gum), soy lecithin, potato protein, potato starch, full soy beans, wheat gluten, corn syrup, sometimes also dairy(!) or egg(!!) ingredients see http://www.futurefood.org/eggproducts/index_en.php

Plant based alternatives to egg products




At home: “Egg replacers” by Ener-G, Orgran or others (potato-, tapioca starch, CMC, citric acid, calcium carbonate) Or simply use soy flour, baking powder, mineral water, locust bean gum, agar-agar, soaked linseeds, etc.“Vegan fried egg”, “vegan yolk” by “The Vegg”: Yeast flakes, alginates,sulphur salt, β-carotene

Plant based alternatives to egg products




Biofermenter: Peter Arras / AKT, Germany, take ruminants as model/guide food out of straw, harvest waste, etc. (all this would suddenly also be basis for human nutrition)In Vitro Meat: ”Real” meat without animals, produced out of cells in labs. Technological basic facts: Initial cells, culture medium incl. growth factors, bioreactors, etc. see http://www.futurefood.org/DissertationSchmidinger.pdf, chapt.12

Futuristic approaches




Some protagonists: Henk Haagsman and Bernard Roelen (NL): Work continuously, search for basic understandingMark Post (NL): Supported by Sergey Brin, presented the first in-vitro-meat burger of the world for 250.000 € in August 2013. Julie Gold (Sweden), US-NGO new-harvest.org and (in earlier times more active) Stig Omholt (Norway, with 1. in-vitro-meat symposium): Networking Gabor a. Andras Forgacs (USA): “Modern Meadow”, 3D-printer, Thiel-FoundationVladimir Mironov and Nick Genovese (USA): PeTA, 3-D-printer, networking, mastermindOron Catts & Ionat Zurr (AUS): Artists from AustraliaWillem van Eelen (NL): Pioneer, cultured meat patent

Futuristic approaches – in vitro meat




Handouts: e.g. Tofushopping, Link auf die Präsentation, ##

This Präsentation: http://www.futurefood.org/basic_english.ppt

Tips for canteen kitchens:Canteen kitchen project: www.gv-nachhaltig.de/

Regional veggie-gastronomy: ## z.b. Graz Ginko, Mangolds, Rest. Arche ##

Tips:



Global consequences of our nutritional habits & livestockWe just have this 1 world …




Dr. Kurt SchmidingerGraduate in Geophysics & Doctor in Food Science

Project Leader www.futurefood.org

Tel. +43 / 676 / 33 22 107

[email protected]