Coronavirus is causing global meat consumption to drop by 9.5 billion tons
The pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with underlying health conditions linked to eating animal products. A plant-based diet is more likely to prevent these diseases.
AUDREY ENJOLI: The coronavirus outbreak is severely impacting the meat industry. Analysts predict the pandemic will cause a 3 percent drop in global meat consumption this year. That comes out to some 9.5 billion tons. According to the UN’s Food Outlook Biannual Report on Global Food Markets, per-capita meat consumption will drop this year to the lowest its been in nearly a decade. The drop is the largest decline since 2000…
Put simply, the coronavirus is currently impacting how much meat people are eating. According to Dr. Shireen Kassam—a consultant hematologist and founder of non-profit organization Plant Based Health Professionals UK — this isn’t a bad thing. While it’s still uncertain whether a decline in meat consumption will stick, Kassam believes the food system needs to change…
Dr. Kassam says the pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with underlying health conditions. These health conditions include hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes. Dietary choices are linked with a vast majority of these conditions… Studies show a whole-food, plant-based diet can effectively treat a number of health issues. These include type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
She says a predominantly plant-based diet is more likely to prevent chronic disease. It’s also more likely to support a healthy immune system. “Meat in the diet does not provide any nutrients that are not easily available in plant foods. Meat does not provide the thousands of phytonutrients present in plant foods that are associated with health and a reduced risk of illness,” Dr. Kassam said. SOURCE…
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