Laudato Si': Reducing Meat Consumption Protects the Climate!

At this very moment, millions of people are facing life-threatening levels of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. At the root of this crisis is a perfect storm of poverty, climate change, conflict and inequality. There is no one solution to breaking the cycle of hunger for every community around the world—but we can do our part through CRS Rice Bowl by answering Jesus’ invitation us to share bread for life with our sisters and brothers during Lent—so all may live with dignity.

Another long term action we can all take to tackle climate crisis, is to eat less meat. About 40 percent of greenhouse gases come from agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes. Meat—particularly beef—drives climate change in two ways: first, through cows’ emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and second, by destroying forests as they are converted to grazing land. You do not have to become a vegan to do this. According to one recent study, if every person in the U.S. cut their meat consumption by 25 percent, it would reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1 percent. That might not sound like a lot, but it would help protect the rain forest, so the positive effects—including reduced water and fertilizer use, improved biodiversity and safeguarded rights of Indigenous peoples—would be amplified. Visit crsricebowl.org for stories, meatless recipes, prayers and more to enrich your Lenten journey.