Image: adamhenson_/Instagram
“It’s about understanding where your food comes from and making informed choices, not having a kneejerk reaction because you’ve read something on social media.”
Countryfile star Adam Henson has claimed avocados and almond milk are “disastrous for the environment” and climate-conscious individuals would be “better off” drinking cow’s milk.
In an interview with the Radio Times, Henson – whose partner and daughter are vegetarians – said: “You’re drinking soya milk, that might have come from South America and caused deforestation, the destruction of species, the displacement of indigenous people.”
A report from the Sustainable Food Trust reveals that the UK imports around 50% of its soybeans from Brazil and 25% from the US.
The Cotswold Farm Park owner added that meat and dairy farmers are unjustly blamed for contributing to the climate crisis, despite the industries adopting sustainable practices and giving back to the community.
“Avocados and almond milk are disastrous for the environment. Beef, sheep and dairy farmers are having fingers pointed at them quite a lot about health and climate change, but the industries are doing a huge amount about that,” Henson commented.
“So I would urge people to eat British food and don’t buy cheap food from abroad.”
According to the 55-year-old: “You’re better off drinking milk from a local dairy farm that’s been bottled there and delivered to your doorstep, where cows are wonderfully looked after and the family contribute to the local society and economy.”
He added: “It’s about understanding where your food comes from and making informed choices, not having a kneejerk reaction because you’ve read something on social media.”
Is a vegan diet unsustainable?
Henson’s claims about a vegan diet’s harmful impact on the environment are contrary to several studies that have repeatedly spotlighted animal agriculture’s ominous role in the climate crisis.
While soybean production leads to the destruction of 2.6 million hectares of Brazilian rainforest each year, a World Bank report shows that more than 90% of the rainforest that’s been cleared since 1970 is used for meat production, either for grazing or for growing food for cattle.
Additionally, reports from the University of Oxford show that restricting meat and dairy is the single biggest step that a person can take to limit their impact on the planet. The livestock industry causes more greenhouse-gas emissions than the entire transport sector combined, and more of these gases are emitted in the production of all animal-sourced foods, including meat, eggs, dairy, and fish, than in that of their plant-based counterparts.
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