In 2024, Knight et al. conducted a one-year study comparing dogs fed conventional meat, raw meat, and nutritionally complete vegan diets. The researchers reported that dogs in the vegan group had the most favourable overall health outcomes, with health disorder rates of 36%, compared with 43% in the raw meat group and 49% in the conventional meat group. The study also found that several illness indicators were 14–51% less common among dogs fed vegan diets, while the odds of six specific health disorders were 50–61% lower than in dogs fed conventional meat diets. Source

In 2024, Dwaraka et al. reported that vegan diets were associated with lower rates of age-related diseases and slower epigenetic age acceleration, suggesting that long-term plant-based dietary patterns may support healthier ageing and improved longevity. Source

In 2017, a study published in Environmental Research Letters identified adopting a plant-based diet as one of the most effective individual actions for reducing environmental impact. The researchers found that shifting to a plant-based diet has three times the environmental benefit of washing clothes in cold water, four times the benefit of hang-drying laundry or recycling, and eight times the impact of switching to energy-efficient light bulbs. Source

In 2023, a study conducted by Sodexo found that 81% of students selected a vegan meal when it was offered as the default option on campus menus. The findings suggest that simple changes to food choice architecture can significantly increase the adoption of plant-based meals without restricting consumer choice. Source

In 2023, Scarborough et al. found that a vegan diet had substantially lower environmental impacts than a high-meat diet across all indicators analysed. The study showed that greenhouse gas emissions from vegan diets were approximately 25% of those associated with high-meat diets, while their impacts on water use, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss were around 46%, 27%, and 34%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that adopting a vegan diet can significantly reduce the environmental pressures associated with food production and consumption. Source

Ritchie and Roser (2024) estimated that agriculture uses around 44% of the Earth’s habitable land, with approximately 80% of this agricultural land devoted to livestock production, either through direct animal grazing or the cultivation of crops used as animal feed. This highlights the substantial land footprint associated with livestock-based food systems compared with plant-based alternatives. Source

In 2021, Xu et al. found that animal agriculture, including both livestock production and the cultivation of crops used as animal feed, was responsible for approximately 57% of greenhouse gas emissions from global food production. In comparison, plant-based foods accounted for around 29% of food-related emissions, meaning that emissions associated with animal-based food systems were nearly twice as high as those from plant-based food production. Source

In 2019, research published through Harvard University examined the potential climate benefits of restoring UK agricultural land currently used for livestock grazing. The study estimated that reforesting pasture areas could remove approximately 3,236 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere, an amount equivalent to offsetting around nine years of current CO₂ emissions from the entire UK economy. Source

In 2019, Greenpeace reported that in the European Union, more than 60% of cropland is dedicated to producing animal feed rather than crops directly intended for human consumption. The organisation highlighted that the large-scale cultivation of feed crops, particularly cereals and soy, contributes to the environmental impacts of livestock production, including land use pressures, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Source

In October 2024, Alves et al. found that across ten European countries, meat and meat products were responsible for a disproportionately large share of the environmental impacts associated with food consumption, contributing 40% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and 53.1% of land use (LU). Dairy products accounted for a further 18.2% of GHGE and 13.7% of LU. Despite these substantial environmental impacts, meat and dairy products represented only 6.3% of all consumed products, including beverages, highlighting the significant environmental footprint of animal-based foods relative to their share of consumption. Source

In 2024, Our World in Data reported that livestock production, including land used for grazing and growing animal feed, accounts for around 80% of global agricultural land use. Source

In 2023, Statista reported that cow’s milk had a significantly higher environmental impact than plant-based alternatives. For example, one litre of cow’s milk produces around 3.2 kg of CO₂ and requires 628 litres of water, compared with soy milk, which produces approximately 1 kg of CO₂ and uses 28 litres of water per litre. Source