Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers
Poore J, Nemecek T
Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Abstract
Food production creates environmental burdens including greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural land use, freshwater use, and eutrophication. Analysis of life-cycle assessments for 38,700 farms and 1600 processors finds that impacts of the lowest-impact animal products typically exceed those of vegetable substitutes.
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Last checked: January 10, 2026
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Used in Content (15)
FAQs (13)
Iron: “Vegans are always anemic”
What Happens to Farm Animals If Everyone Goes Vegan?
What is the carbon footprint of different foods?
Do vegan alternatives have environmental problems too?
How much would global emissions decrease if the world went plant-based?
Palm oil and “veganism is worse”
Can I just reduce meat instead of going fully vegan?
Water use
Land use & biodiversity
“Local meat is better than imported plants” (food miles)
“Plant-based diets reduce emissions”
“Plant-based is more efficient (thermodynamics / trophic levels)”
Rewilding and opportunity cost