05/21/24 Choose plant products and plant-based meals to preserve biodiversity
Animal Friends Croatia calls on all of us to stand up for the survival of endangered species
- May 22 – be part of the plan and help endangered animal species by turning to vegan food
The International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated on May 22, and this year's theme is "Be part of the Plan". To mark the occasion, Animal Friends Croatia call on everyone to stand up for the protection of endangered animal species and to be part of the plan, and thus, part of the solution. According to the organization, the best way for all of us to help preserve biodiversity is to choose plant products in our diet.
A 2022 report published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found an average 69% decline in populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians since 1970. This decline was mostly caused by habitat destruction, resource overconsumption and climate change – with all of these factors being connected to animal farming used to produce food for humans.
By switching to a vegan diet we can significantly help the preservation of biodiversity in many ways. One such example is that meat production requires considerably more land in comparison to the production of plant products. Feed manufacturing takes up large land areas, namely natural habitats of various plant and animal species. A study published in the Nature Communications journal suggested that up to eight million square km, which is a larger surface than the whole of Australia, could be preserved by 2050 if the whole world went vegan.
Another thing is that animal farming for meat, milk and eggs also produces large amounts of waste, including methane, nitrate and phosphate which contaminate soil and aquatic ecosystems. Livestock farming has a larger impact on climate change than all the traffic in the world combined. All of the mentioned things pose a great threat to several aquatic and terrestrial species. If we reduce the usage of animal products, this will cut the wasteful usage of water, which will in turn help to preserve aquatic ecosystems and the species depending on them.
"Faced with the climate change crisis, as well as the destruction and pollution of nature and biodiversity, we know we have to co-operate on all levels of society in order to rebuild harmony with nature and inspire the change to sustainable socio-economic systems. Something we can all do as individuals to reach this goal is to decrease our consumption of milk, meat and eggs. It is incredible how, by simply choosing what to eat, we can greatly affect the survival of the species living on this beautiful planet," Animal Friends Croatia has concluded.
To celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, Animal Friends Croatia urges everyone to be part of the plan for saving the diversity of plants and animals on Earth. They also want to take this opportunity to invite everyone to visit the 13th VegeFair, taking place at the European Square in Zagreb on June 8, 2024. The fair is going to present the visitors with plenty of vegan products and dishes, and it also serves as an introduction to the ZeGeVege festival of sustainable living, which is set to start on September 6, 2024. Animal Friends Croatia stresses that the fate of various species, including ours, is solely in our hands.
You can find more information about how our diet affects the environment and animals living in it HERE, as well as the freely available guidelines for solving the existing problems.
Translated by: Magdalena Željeznjak
