The Economics of Vegetarianism

On this blog we have explored the impacts that vegetarianism may have on the environment and health of the individual, but what of the economic and ecological costs? How much of an impact does a meat-oriented diet make on the world and one’s wallet?

Many studies have been done about the impact made on nature by human’s consumption of meat. In the book Diet for a Small Planet author Frances Moore Lappe makes the argument that to produce one eight-ounce steak takes the equivalent of 45-50 cups of grain, enough to feed far more than one person. In the United States the average person consumes roughly 2,000 pounds of grain a year compared to 400 pounds per person in underdeveloped countries. This disparity is because almost 90% of grain in this country is fed to animals first, whereas underdeveloped countries eat grain directly. It’s of no doubt that this system is horrendously inefficient, taking thousands of pounds of grain and water to produce one pound of meat.

The economic costs of vegetarianism prove to be beneficial, as well. In the average store a pound of the cheapest cuts of meat (ground round beef and boneless chicken breasts) costs between $3.00 and $3.50, yet a pound of lentils, beans or rice can generally be found for under $1. It takes little mathematics to prove that the average vegetarian meal can be produced at far less cost than one containing meat, and the benefits don’t end when the bill comes. Though the lifespan of vegetarians is comparable to that of meat-eaters, the likelihood of suffering from medical complications is greater. According to numerous studies of life-long vegetarians (most notably the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Health study) they suffer from significantly lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, diet-related cancers, and gall stones. From an economic standpoint these diseases are expensive to treat and live with. For instance, a bypass surgery or angioplasty can cost in excess of $60,000 dollars.

It’s clear that the economic, health, and ecological impact of vegetarianism are great. The Western lifestyle that is geared towards large consumption of meat is both damaging to the environment that raises the meat as well as the people who consume it.