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BEYOND THE DEBATE BETWEEN PLANT- AND ANIMAL-BASED FOODS: INTENSIVE PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Climate Change
BEYOND THE DEBATE BETWEEN PLANT- AND ANIMAL-BASED FOODS: INTENSIVE PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Juan Manuel Rodríguez–Gaeta
The environmental crisis facing our planet is often reduced to a superficial debate about whether humanity should consume more plant-based or animal-based foods. However, this discussion overlooks the true core of the problem: the massive environmental impacts generated by intensive and irrational production, regardless of origin.
The dominant model of large-scale, centralized food production—driven mainly by the pursuit of profit—has placed unprecedented pressure on ecosystems. It accelerates the degradation of natural resources and undermines the planet’s regenerative capacity (Rockström et al., 2009; FAO, 2023). Addressing this crisis requires not only changes in what we eat, but a deep structural transformation of the global agri-food system. The challenge is to redesign production, distribution, and consumption under principles of ecological sustainability and social justice.
A successful transition must prioritize decentralized models that strengthen regional and local economies, while promoting diversified systems that reduce dependence on monocultures and the overexploitation of natural resources (Ruano et al., 2025)
Irreversible and Global Damage
Both industrial agriculture and intensive livestock production cause significant environmental damage. In agriculture, the massive use of agrochemicals and synthetic fertilizers in monocultures has depleted soil fertility, polluted groundwater, and eroded biodiversity (Altieri and Nicholls, 2020). The expansion of agricultural frontiers has also fueled deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and species los (IPBES, 2019).
Intensive livestock farming, meanwhile, generates enormous volumes of waste that contaminate air, soil, and water. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock and manure management are among the most powerful contributors to climate change (Gerber et al., 2013). Concentrating these activities in the hands of a few reinforces a system that prioritizes profitability over sustainability, worsening inequality and increasing community vulnerability to environmental and economic crises.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2017) has repeatedly warned of this trend. According to recent reports, agriculture and livestock together account for about 70% of global freshwater use and more than 30% of greenhouse gas emissions linked to the agri-food sector. The FAO has also estimated that over 50% of the world’s agricultural soils show some degree of degradation (FAO and ITPS, 2015), largely due to intensive practices that are displacing more resilient traditional systems (Pretty et al., 2018).
These figures confirm that the real problem does not lie in the type of food produced, but in the way it is produced.
Transition Towards Sustainable Systems
Facing the environmental crisis driven by intensive food production requires a deep and structural transformation of the global agri-food system. It is not only about changing the type of food we consume, but about rethinking the entire model of production, distribution, and consumption under principles of ecological sustainability and social justice. Only in this way can we reduce the ecological footprint while strengthening resilience against climate change.
An effective transition must prioritize decentralized models that empower regional and local economies, and diversified systems that lessen the dependency on monocultures and the overexploitation of natural resources.
International organizations and researchers have converged on a set of urgent priorities.
Some of these key measures include:
· Promoting agroecological and regenerative practices to conserve soil, water, and biodiversity (Altieri and Nicholls, 2020).
· Strengthening local food production to reduce dependence on long and fragile supply chains (Nicolétis et al., 2019).
· Implementing region-specific technologies, such as high-efficiency irrigation systems, renewable energy, and bio-inputs (FAO, 2023).
· Reducing food loss and waste—an essential strategy to minimize the pressure to expand agricultural land. Decentralized production systems, whether regional, local, or even family-based, provide greater control over supply chains and consumer needs, reducing waste compared to large-scale models with long distribution chains (FAO, 2019).
· Reforming public policies to reward sustainable practices and penalize extractive ones (UNEP, 2021).
· Expanding education and citizen engagement to promote responsible and conscious consumption (UNESCO, 2020).
It is no longer enough to argue about reducing plant-based or animal-based foods; such debates often distract from the real challenge. What is truly needed is a bold transformation of our food systems—abandoning intensive and extractive practices that deplete soils, water, and biodiversity, and embracing models that honor the balance of life. The path forward demands an integral vision where science guides, policy enables, and citizens act with responsibility and courage. Only then can we secure not just food on our tables, but also the integrity of the ecosystems that sustain us. The future of humanity depends on our ability to reimagine agriculture as a force of regeneration, so that generations to come may inherit a planet vibrant with life, resilience, and hope.
REFERENCES
Altieri, M. A., and Nicholls, C. I. (2020). Agroecology: Challenges and opportunities for farming in the Anthropocene. Ciencia e investigación agraria: revista latinoamericana de ciencias de la agricultura, 47(3), 204-215. http://dx.doi.org/10.7764/ijanr.v47i3.2281
FAO and ITPS. (2015). Status of the World’s Soil Resources. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO, F. (2017). Water for Sustainable Food and Agriculture: A report produced for the G20 Presidency of Germany. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO. (2019). The State of Food and Agriculture: Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO. (2023). The state of Food and Agriculture: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cc7724en
Gerber, P. J., Steinfeld, H., Henderson, B., Mottet, A., Opio, C., Dijkman, J., Falcucci, A. and Tempio, G. (2013). Tackling climate change through livestock: a global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities (xxi+115 pp).
https://www.fao.org/4/i3437e/i3437e.pdf
IPBES. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Nicolétis, É., Caron, P., El Solh, M., Cole, M., Fresco, L. O., Godoy-Faúndez, A., … and Zurayk, R. (2019). Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/ff385e60-0693-40fe-9a6b-79bbef05202c/content
Pretty, J., Benton, T. G., Bharucha, Z. P., Dicks, L. V., Flora, C. B., Godfray, H. C. J., … and Wratten, S. (2018). Global assessment of agricultural system redesign for sustainable intensification. Nature Sustainability, 1(8), 441-446. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0114-0
Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin III, F. S., Lambin, E. F., … and Foley, J. A. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. nature, 461(7263), 472-475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a
Ruano, A. N. G., Cedeño, C. A. H., Prado, M. J. R., y Valencia, P. J. R. (2025). Impacto de la agricultura sostenible en el desarrollo rural de la provincia de Esmeraldas. Polo del Conocimiento, 10(5), 2856-2866.
https://polodelconocimiento.com/ojs/index.php/es/article/view/9605/pdf
UNEP. (2021). Making Peace with Nature. United Nations Environment Programme.
https://wedocs.unep.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/34948/MPN.pdf
UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://doi.org/10.54675/YFRE1448
About the writer: Juan Manuel Rodríguez–Gaeta ; Honorary Correspondent – Mexico; Email: jmgaeta@uach.mx ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-rodr%C3%ADguez-300830116 ; Professor–Researcher; Autonomous University of Chihuahua (UACH). Mexico
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