Italy Reads

By Chiara Busatto, Andrea Berlin, Martina Causin, Letizia Stocchi, Matilde Farinelli, Anna Zanin / FOCUS GROUP 9

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OMNIVOROUS DIET 

A type of diet wherein the organism derives energy and nutrients by feeding on both animals and plants.

By Chiara Busatto

Meat production is projected to double by 2020 due to increased, per capita global consumption of meat as well as population growth. The livestock sector is one of the most significant contributors to urgent environmental problems. In Europe, food consumption is responsible for approximately 30% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Meat generally has a considerably higher carbon footprint than plant-based food. This is especially true for beef, due to the emissions of methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation in ruminants. 

An influential study in 2010 of the water footprints for meat estimated that while vegetables had a footprint of about 322 litres per kg, and fruits drank up 962, meat was far thirstier: chicken came in at 4,325 l/kg, pork at 5,988, sheep/goat meat at 8,763, and beef at a shocking 15,415 l/kg. Some non- meat products were also pretty water-consuming: nuts came in at 9,063 l/kg.

To put these figures into context: the planet faces growing water constraints as our freshwater reservoirs and aquifers dry up. By some estimates, farming accounts for about 70% of water used in the world today, but a 2013 study found that it uses up to 92% of our freshwater, with nearly one-third of that use related to animal products. 

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VEGETARIANISM

By Andrea Berlin

There are many different types of vegetarian diets. The first one is the lacto-vegetarian diet, which excludes meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Many people adopt a lacto-vegetarian diet to reduce their intake of animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons. The second and the third types are the ovo-vegetarian diet (which exclude dairy products but allows eggs) and the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, where meat, fish and poultry are excluded, rather than dairy products and eggs. Lacto-vegetarians and ovo-lacto-vegetarians often have religious or cultural reasons for choosing their diet. This includes Jains as well as some Hindus and Buddhists. In the kosher Jewish diet, eggs are considered neither meat nor dairy (pareve) and therefore can be included in either type of meal. Since an ovo-vegetarian would not be eating meat or dairy, their entire diet might be pareve.

It’s important to remember that eating fish, especially fatty fish, provides increased long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake. People who follow this particular diet or people who just eat a lot of fish have lower blood pressure, a lower risk of abnormal heart rhythms, and fewer fatal heart attacks than those who do not include seafood in their weekly diet. The last diet is the vegan one, where meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are excluded, as are all foods that contain those products.

Increasing numbers of people are moving toward vegan diets due to health, animal welfare, or environmental causes. A Gallup poll report from 2018 showed that about 3% of people in the United States are fully vegan and notes that sales of plant-based foods are rising. The correlation analysis of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) shows that there are significant relations between motives, subjective norms, attitudes, behavioral intentions and the behavior about adopting a vegan diet. Each of these concepts is measured with regard to animal-welfare and environmental protection. 

 

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VEGANISM

A lifestyle that excludes all animal products and attempts to limit the exploitation of animals as much as possible.

By Martina Causin

The term “vegan” was coined in 1944 by a small group of vegetarians who broke away from the Leicester Vegetarian Society in England to form the Vegan Society. They chose not to consume dairy, eggs, or any other products of animal origin, in addition to refraining from meat, as do vegetarians. 

Veganism is currently defined as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, be it from food, clothing, or any other purpose. 

Why do people go vegan? 

Health

Some people choose veganism for its potential health benefits. For example, plant-based diets may reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and premature death. Lowering your intake of animal products may also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dying from cancer or heart disease. Some choose veganism to avoid the side effects linked to the antibiotics and hormones used in modern animal agriculture. 

Finally, studies consistently link vegan diets to a lower body weight and body mass index (BMI). Some people may choose these diets to lose weight.

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MEAT

By Letizia Stocchi

Chicken

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LEGUMES

By Matilde Farinelli

Legumes are among the best plant-based sources of protein and are chosen as main protein source in vegan diets. Their nutritional properties include the presence of antioxidants, B vitamins, C, E, PP and essential minerals such as iron, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Finally, besides being fundamental in the regulation of digestive functions, legumes are rich in fibres, which contribute to the control of cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood. Legumes also contain unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), particularly beneficial for the cardiovascular system as they prevent the accumulation of triglycerides in the blood.

4,177 liters of water are used to produce 1 kilogram of chickpeas 

0.64 kg CO2 emitted to produce 1 kilogram of chickpeas 

Lentils

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VEGETARIAN PROTEIN SOURCE 

By Anna Zanin

People probably think that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment mainly because meat production is one of the biggest factors of climate change. However, even a vegetarian diet causes a large footprint mostly through the production of protein sources.  

One example is eggs. Eggs are a great source of high-quality protein, as the average egg contains about 6-7 grams. On the other hand, the production of eggs has a huge environmental impact mainly coming from the caretaking of chickens. A study at the University of Oviedo which focused on 18 different environmental categories discovered that the greatest climate impact comes from the livestock feed and the replacement of old hens with younger ones. The data collected shows that the production of one egg produces 4,8kg of CO2 emissions, most of which comes from feed production, on-farm energy use, and nitrous oxide gases from the poultry litter and fuel combustion. In the last decade, egg production has reached a volume of 68 million tons worldwide. 

Another example is milk. Currently, dairy milk produces many emissions, making 3kg of CO2 for every litre of milk. Cows also need a lot of space, so every 9 square meters of land produces just one litre of milk. Finally, 628 litres of water irrigate the feeding products and hydrate cows for just one litre of milk.

Even though dairy milk has a really high impact, people have started drinking different types that in a comparison have fewer consequences, mainly because they don’t come from animals. 

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