Industrial animal agriculture has costs that don't show up on the price tag. It takes far more land, water and feed to produce meat and dairy than to eat plants directly, and intensive farming relies heavily on antibiotics. The good news is that every food choice, supplements included, is a chance to lean toward plants.
What is the environmental cost of animal agriculture?
The largest analysis of food's environmental impact to date pulled together data from about 38,700 farms. It found that meat, aquaculture, eggs and dairy use about 83% of the world's farmland while providing 37% of our protein and 18% of our calories. The same study found that even the lowest-impact animal products typically have a bigger footprint than vegetable substitutes, across greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water pollution.
Livestock eat a lot of crops, and those crops need land and water. Feeding grain to animals and then eating the animals is a far less efficient way to get protein than eating plants ourselves.
How does factory farming affect antibiotic resistance?
Modern intensive livestock production routinely uses antimicrobials, which increases the pressure on bacteria to become resistant. One global modeling study estimated that antimicrobial use in food animals would rise by about 67% between 2010 and 2030, driven by growing demand for meat. Antibiotic resistance is a public health problem for everyone, whatever they eat.
Is plant protein better for your health?
The research here is observational, so it shows associations rather than cause and effect, but the pattern is consistent. A meta-analysis of 32 cohort studies found that higher intake of plant protein was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes and from cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans and red meat as probably carcinogenic.
None of that means you have to go fully vegan overnight. Swapping some animal protein for plant protein is a meaningful step on its own. For ideas, see our guide to everyday vegan protein options and why eating a variety of protein sources matters.
What about supplements made from animals?
Supplements are easy to overlook, but many of the most popular ones come from animals: fish oil for omega-3s, whey and collagen from dairy and livestock. Plant-based versions exist for most of them. Fish get their omega-3 DHA from the algae they eat, which is why our Head & Heart DHA omega-3 goes straight to the source and comes from algae, not fish. If you're curious about the options, read how to get vegan omega-3.
What can you do?
Our health and the health of the planet don't need to be at odds. Treating supplements the way we treat food, and choosing plant-based versions where we can, is a bite-sized way to reduce our dependence on industrial animal agriculture.
Protein powder is an easy place to start. So Lean & So Clean gives you 23 grams of complete organic plant protein per serving from pea and rice protein, with no added sugar. You can read more about how we think about packaging and sourcing on our sustainability page.
