Editing Meat (section)

=== Biodiversity loss ===

Meat consumption is a primary contributor to the [[Holocene extinction|sixth mass extinction]].<ref name="Machovina 2015 419–431"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/meat-eaters-may-speed-worldwide-species-extinction-study-warns |title=Meat-eaters may speed worldwide species extinction, study warns |first=Virginia |last=Morell |date=August 11, 2015 |work=[[Science (magazine)|Science]] |access-date=December 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220105327/http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/08/meat-eaters-may-speed-worldwide-species-extinction-study-warns |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 2017 study by the [[World Wildlife Fund]] found that 60% of global [[biodiversity loss]] is attributable to meat-based diets, in particular from the use of land for feed crops, resulting in large-scale loss of habitats and species.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smithers |first=Rebecca |date=October 5, 2017 |title=Vast animal-feed crops to satisfy our meat needs are destroying planet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/05/vast-animal-feed-crops-meat-needs-destroying-planet |work=The Guardian |access-date=October 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303143952/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/05/vast-animal-feed-crops-meat-needs-destroying-planet |archive-date=March 3, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Livestock make up 60% of the [[Biomass (ecology)|biomass]] of all mammals on earth, followed by humans (36%) and wild mammals (4%).<ref>{{cite news |last=Carrington |first=Damian |date=May 21, 2018 |title=Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83% of wild mammals – study |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911035201/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1073/pnas.1711842115 |pmid=29784790 |pmc=6016768 |title=The biomass distribution on Earth |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |volume=115 |issue=25 |pages=6506–11 |year=2018 |last1=Bar-On |first1=Yinon M. |last2=Phillips |first2=Rob |last3=Milo |first3=Ron |bibcode=2018PNAS..115.6506B |doi-access=free}}</ref> In November 2017, 15,364 world scientists signed a [[World Scientists' Warning to Humanity|Warning to Humanity]] calling for a drastic reduction in per capita consumption of meat and "dietary shifts towards mostly plant-based foods".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ripple |first1=W.J. |display-authors=etal |title=World Scientists' Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice |journal=[[BioScience]] |date=November 13, 2017 |volume=67 |issue=12 |pages=1026–1028 |doi=10.1093/biosci/bix125 |doi-access=free |hdl=11336/71342 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The 2019 ''[[Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services]]'' recommended a reduction in meat consumption to mitigate biodiversity loss.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watts |first=Jonathan |date=May 6, 2019 |title=Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth's natural life |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/06/human-society-under-urgent-threat-loss-earth-natural-life-un-report |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=May 18, 2019 |quote=Over the past week, representatives from the world's governments have fine-tuned the summary for policymakers, which includes remedial scenarios, such as "transformative change" across all areas of government, revised trade rules, massive investments in forests and other green infrastructure, and changes in individual behaviour such as lower consumption of meat and material goods. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518041123/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/06/human-society-under-urgent-threat-loss-earth-natural-life-un-report |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 2021 [[Chatham House]] report asserted that a shift towards plant-based diets would free up land for the restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity.<ref name="Carrington">{{cite news |last=Carrington |first=Damian |date=February 3, 2021 |title=Plant-based diets crucial to saving global wildlife, says report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/03/plant-based-diets-crucial-to-saving-global-wildlife-says-report |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=February 5, 2021}}</ref>

Meat consumption is predicted to rise as the human population increases and becomes more affluent; this in turn would increase greenhouse gas emissions and further reduce biodiversity.<!--<ref>{{cite news |last=Devlin |first=Hannah |date=July 19, 2018 |title=Rising global meat consumption 'will devastate environment' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/rising-global-meat-consumption-will-devastate-environment |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720104546/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/rising-global-meat-consumption-will-devastate-environment |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>--><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Godfray |first1=H. Charles J. |last2=Aveyard |first2=Paul |display-authors=etal |year=2018 |title=Meat consumption, health, and the environment |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cc174e1d-0e3e-43ce-9d3b-ad7e204d0845 |journal=Science |volume=361 |issue=6399 |doi=10.1126/science.aam5324 |pmid=30026199 |bibcode=2018Sci...361M5324G |s2cid=49895246 |doi-access=free}}</ref>