Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 May; 59(5 Suppl): 1110S-1116S.

Ecology and vegetarian considerations: does environmental responsibility demand the elimination of livestock?

Gussow JD.

Program in Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.

Although the recommendation to avoid animal flesh for environmental reasons has been increasingly advanced, especially in the highly industrialized countries, the ecological implications of such avoidance are seldom carefully examined. If sustainable food systems are to be modeled after natural systems that maintain fertility, both plants and animals would be involved. This paper examines the history of the idea that environmental responsibility is linked to vegetarianism and the destructive effects of present methods of animal raising on farmers, animal welfare, and the environment. Finally, it explores the question of whether vegetarianism is the appropriate response to these problems.