A vegan America would be low on nutrients, but also low on greenhouse gases
Washington — What would a vegan America look like? A herbivore population would enjoy a drop in greenhouse-gas emissions, but also face deficiencies in calcium, vitamins A and B12, and fatty acids. That’s according to a new study by the US department of agriculture and Virginia Tech University, which studied the possible impact of eliminating animals from the nation’s food production and putting citizens on a plant-based diet. The total American food supply would increase by 23%, as corn, soybeans and other crops fed to animals would be diverted to other uses, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science this month. Still, because land used to grow feed crops is often unsuited for fruits and vegetables, such farms would likely stay with grains, adding to a glut in commodities, the researchers said. "We need to expand the way we think about food production to account for the complex consequences of changing any individual piece within the wi...
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