On an environmental level what is more important to eat vegetarian/vegan or to buy local foods?

Question

It is not always possible to do both adequately as much of our produce is shipped from California, Hawaii, Florida, etc. Though eggs, milk, honey, meat, etc can be a helpful supplement if to ones diet wanting to eat solely local.

Before anyone gets up in arms I am a financial vegan and vast vast majority of the time vegan in my diet but will compromise on honey from time to time if it is in a locally made product like bread. In my town it is the only option. I am trying to work with the supplier to offer a vegan option but this is going to take some time.

Answer 1

Eating vegetarian/vegan is more important on the environmental level.  

According to a major report issued by the United Nations, the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gases and contributes more to global warming than all other causes (such as factories, cars, trucks, etc.) combined.  The livestock industry is also the top cause of water pollution, land degradation, and the destruction of the rainforest  (although this is not a local issue.)  

Finally, the livestock industry wastes resources.  It takes more energy, land, and water to fuel the livestock industry than it does to grow vegetarian foods.

Answer 2

It's important to consider the environmental impact that the transport of produce has on the environment.

However, if someone is concerned about resources and their food's impact on the planet, they shouldn't eat meat anyway... to raise animals for meat consumption requires way more water and grain than if we were to eat a vegetarian diet to begin with. That's all the more grain and plants and water that have to go through the chemical systems set up for food production... water is purified, distilled, fluoridated, etc. Grain requires equal amounts of processing, transport, chemicals in production like pesticides. Unless you're ordering someone to drive you your apples up to your doorstep in a Hummer all the way from Alaska, there's no way that eating that apple would have had as devastating an environmental impact as a pound of beef (organic or not!).

I live in the Chicago area and my local farmer's market has just about everything available, except for some citrus fruit. Berries of all sorts, leafy greens, vegetables, watermelons, tons of grain (Indiana and Illinois are corn and soy growers). Off the top of my head, I can't think of any food that can't be grown locally that is necessary for a balanced vegan diet. Except for some processed or packaged food that I buy (like ready-made chips, prepared pasta, nutritional yeast, dried fruit, bagged nuts, tofu trays) I can't think of anything that probably isn't local already.

I prefer heavily to buy food at least grown in the United States so I eat very seasonally. I don't like the thought that the ridiculously expensive peaches and nectarines in the dead of winter were probably raised by the worked-to-the-bone fingers of Nicaraguan and Chilean impoverished natives. I eat lots of gourds and squashes and apples in the winter and whatever else I can get that was raised in the USA.

But as you said, if you just can't get something without eggs or honey or dairy in it, or if you live in a secluded area or just can't afford some of the products needed to make a vegan diet, that's a different story entirely. Tiny fishing communities in very rural areas come to mind - fish is bountiful, some locally grown vegetables and grains are there, but the odds of someone there getting nutritional yeast or a tray of tofu is unlikely. I think you have to take everyone's situation into consideration.

Most people in the Western half of the world can easily, EASILY eat at least a mostly vegan diet without it being any skin off their backs.

Also, vegans are not unified in opinion about honey. Technically it is an animal product, but aren't all fruits and vegetables pollinated by hardworking bees (from which they make honey to begin with) a bee animal product as well? I find it tricky to draw the line where the obsession with animal products should stop. If someone can cut out honey that's fine, but don't worry about it so much if you can't!!

Answer 3

Of course I think both are important. But I believe vegetarianism & veganism has a greater potential on an environmental level. The production of meat has a very significant environmental impact. It is a massive source of waste and pollution. Meat production is also a strain on natural resources including water, land, energy, feed, fossil fuels.

Gas:

The most significant gas wastes include methane and carbon dioxide, which are both contributors to global warming. Methane is 23 times more potent than CO2. Other gases are produced by the combustion of fossil fuels in processing, harvesting and of course distribution.  

Solid:

Solid wastes include faeces, sludges, dead unwanted livestock, excess feed and bedding, packaging, and byproducts from feed production. 1 cow can produce 14.6 tonnes of waste per year.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/0...

Liquid:

Farming requires massive amounts of water to maintain. Water consumed by herds, Water for cooling, Water for wash down , & waste treatment, Water for field irrigation, Water for crop & feed production.

1 dairy cow can produce over 23000L of waste water:

Amount(L/cow/yr)

Dung and urine 750

Effluent-Pit & milk room1840

Effluent-Yard wash down5840

Uncontaminated water (coolers, roofs)15400

Total volume of annual effluent 23830

++ figures are from ausralan dairy shed effluent managment guidlines.++

Energy:

Energy requirements to produce meat and dairy products are phenomenal. It’s production requires vast amounts of energy, for crop production, harvesting, transportation, industrial processes, pumping, heating, cooling, rearing and maintaining the animals, culling, then dismantling and distributing. Waste treatment is also a significant energy consumer. An equivalent meat dinner requires 24 times more energy to produce than a veg*n dinner.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/0...

Land:

Land clearing for shed construction, clearing for grazing area, Further land clearing for grain & feed production.

Feed:

Land for grazing, crop production. Crop production also requires large volumes of water. also the illions of tonnes of grain used to feed livestock, has the potential to eliminate world hunger.

Eating locally is a great way to reduce you carbon foot print. But it still doesn’t address the other sources of pollution produced by industrialized agri-business. The Locavore experiment discussed in Singer’s “The Ethics of What We Eat” was an interesting social experiment discussing the advantages and limitations of eating locally. Well worth the read.

So, at the end of my environmental babble (sorry about that) my conclusion is, environmentally speaking I think being Veg*n is the more effective means of reducing pollution and over all creates a more significant positive impact on the environment than simply eating locally. Though eating locally is a good place to start and it’s great for supporting local business.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/diet/going-th...

Answer 4

Buy local. The gas used to ship food from 3rd world countries (while their people often starve) is terrible for the environment. And also puts out of business local small farm owners.

Answer 5

I believe buying local is more important and if you eat meat/dairy buying grass fed as grass fed/pastured animals do not produce the methane/manure/etc that confined animals produce (not even close) nor are they pumped full of drugs.

Buying local means you can develop a relationship with the people who grow your food instead of buying food on blind faith from complete strangers from who knows where growing the food you eat in a manner you may not agree with.

Buying local means you are supporting farmers in your area as well as keeping money in your economy. when you buy from a local business the 80% money you spend stays in the local economy and strengthens your local community. when you buy from a non local source 75% of the money goes out of your economy and does very little good for your area.

I live in Ohio and 85% to 90% of my diet year round is local. It has not been easy sourcing food/developing markets for local growers over the past 15 years I have been a locavore but well worth the effort. You do have to look ahead at least a year when eating local and cannot be lazy about your food.