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Tag: Environmental Sustainability

  • Dogs Thrive on Vegan Diets, Demonstrates the Most Comprehensive Study So Far

    Dogs Thrive on Vegan Diets, Demonstrates the Most Comprehensive Study So Far

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    WINCHESTER, England, April 23, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    The longest, most comprehensive peer-reviewed study so far has demonstrated that dogs fed nutritionally-sound vegan diets maintain health outcomes as well as dogs fed meat. The study, published in leading scientific journal PLOS ONE, comprehensively assessed the health of 15 dogs by analysing blood cells and biochemistry, blood nutrient levels, urine, veterinary clinical parameters, and monthly pet owner questionnaires. The dogs were fed solely vegan diets based on pea protein for an entire year – just under one tenth of an average dog lifespan, or around seven human years.

    Overweight or obese dogs lost weight, whilst the remainder maintained normal weight. No clinically significant changes occurred within blood and urine. Blood levels of amino acids and vitamins were all generally maintained. 

    In a few cases, previous deficiencies following a meat-based diet either improved or disappeared, including L-taurine and L-carnitine (important for cardiac health), vitamin D (indispensable for immunity and bone health), and folate (required to produce red blood cells).

    The study was particularly interesting, given recent suggestions that peas might contribute to heart disease in dogs in the US. Although no credible evidence has been found, such concerns have persisted in some quarters. In the current study, dogs were fed pea-based vegan pet food, for one year. Blood markers of cardiac health were assessed, with no signs of heart disease found. Indeed, in some cases indicators of cardiac health improved.

    Stated lead researcher, veterinarian Dr. Annika Linde from the Western University of Health Sciences near Los Angeles, “Evolutionary adaptations have resulted in a digestive system that enables dogs to maintain health on nutritionally complete omnivorous diets, including those free of animal ingredients. Our study offers new evidence on outcomes in clinically healthy dogs who thrive without consumption of animal-derived ingredients. Notably, foods produced independent of factory farming are also more sustainable and ethical.”

    Study co-author Dr. Melgarejo highlighted the potential environmental benefits of such diets, “If dogs and cats in the U.S. were their own nation, they would rank fifth in global meat consumption, surpassed only by Russia, Brazil, USA, and China, according to the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.”

    Veterinary Professor Andrew Knight has published several of the key studies in this field, including very large-scale studies showing that both dogs and cats normally achieve equivalent or superior health outcomes, when fed nutritionally-sound vegan diets. He also analysed the environmental benefits of vegan pet diets in a major recent study. He stated that “If all the world’s dogs went vegan, it would save more greenhouse gases than those emitted by the UK, land larger than Mexico, and 450 million additional people could be fed with food energy savings – more than the entire EU population. With 13 studies now demonstrating good health outcomes achieved by nutritionally-sound vegan pet diets, and several others demonstrating major environmental benefits, a compelling case now exists for environmentally-friendly vegan pet diets.”

    Source: Prof. Andrew Knight

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  • Tenth Study Demonstrates Good Health in Vegan Dogs

    Tenth Study Demonstrates Good Health in Vegan Dogs

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    WINCHESTER, England, November 9, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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    Although biologically omnivores, dogs are often labelled as carnivores. Almost never are they considered vegetarians. Yet vegan pet foods (excluding any animal products) are increasingly being developed for environmental and animal welfare reasons. And now a study just published in the British Journal of Nutrition has demonstrated good health outcomes in dogs fed vegan diets. Dr Sarah Dodd and other veterinary nutritional specialists from Canada’s Ontario Veterinary College found that 31 dogs fed vegan diets for three months had health outcomes as good as 30 fed meat-based diets. 

    The dogs were comprehensively assessed via veterinary examinations, blood and urine tests, and X-rays. Vitamin D plays a key role in regulating bodily calcium levels, and in maintaining good bone health. It is normally sourced from animals, and the effectiveness of vegan vitamin D had been uncertain. However, Dodd’s research group showed that blood levels of vitamin D and calcium did not change in dogs fed entirely vegan diets. X-rays confirmed that bone mineral content and density were unaffected, and other health parameters were also maintained.

    This is the latest among 10 studies that have now confirmed good health outcomes in dogs fed vegan diets. Some are very large-scale studies, following an explosion of recent interest in this field. In 2002, Dodd and her colleagues analysed the lifespans of 1,201 dogs, finding that dogs fed vegan diets lived 1.5 years longer, on average. Said Andrew Knight, a veterinary Professor of Animal Welfare, “That equates to around an extra decade, at the end of a human lifespan. And as well as longer lives, dogs fed vegan diets seem to enjoy better quality of life, because rates of key illnesses impacting life quality, consistently appear lower.” In 2002 Prof. Knight and colleagues also studied health outcomes in 2,536 dogs and concluded that the healthiest and least hazardous diets for dogs were nutritionally sound vegan diets. 

    Even cats appear to benefit from vegan diets, provided these are nutritionally-sound. At least three studies have confirmed positive health findings in cats. A 2023 study of 1,369 cats by Knight and colleagues calculated reductions in risks of a broad range of illness indicators, for cats fed vegan diets. Their detailed analysis of feeding behaviour of 2,308 dogs and 1,135 cats also found that average pets appeared to enjoy vegan meals, as much as those based on meat.

    Knight commented that these new studies had opened the door to major environmental benefits offered by vegan pet food. His 2023 study calculated that vegan pet food could save enormous quantities of greenhouse gases, land, and water and that resultant food energy savings could feed billions of additional people globally. Another landmark study also recently identified major climate benefits associated with plant-based diets. 

    However, Knight cautioned that, “to safeguard the health of our pets, it is important we feed only commercial vegan pet foods labelled as nutritionally complete, produced by reputable companies with good standards.”

    Source: Prof. Andrew Knight

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  • Diet Choice Could Help Solve the Climate Crisis, Major New Study Finds

    Diet Choice Could Help Solve the Climate Crisis, Major New Study Finds

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    WINCHESTER, England, October 16, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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    In a major new study, prominent scientists from around the world have developed a new strategy for addressing climate change. The study “Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: a systematic literature review and a new way forward,” published in leading scientific journal Heliyon, demonstrates that climate change solutions must include a shift to a more fundamentally plant-based diet and a global phaseout of industrialized animal farming. The authors also recommend the adoption of an “All Life” approach that recognizes the profound interconnectedness of all life on Earth and a global standardization of climate change metrics. 

    Our planet is in a state of emergency and we only have a short window of time (7-8 years) to enact meaningful change to prevent an eventual global climate crisis that will impact each and every one of the Earth’s inhabitants. To achieve this monumental task in such a short space of time, human activities cannot continue on a “business-as-usual” basis. And the data clearly indicate that we will not succeed without changes in the way that we eat and produce food.

    “We must recognize that by solely focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming, we are treating the symptom of the cause, and the cause is major global unsustainability. To achieve long-lasting transformative change, which will benefit current and future generations (and save our planet), we need to change our mindset and behavior as individuals, communities, businesses, governments, and global citizens,” says lead author Svetlana V. Feigin, Ph.D.

    “Animal agriculture is not necessary (nor sustainable) to feed the growing global population,” the authors contend. Regarding the phaseout of industrialized animal farming, the authors propose “ending government subsidies for animal-based meat, dairy and eggs, and initiating taxes on such products to account for the wide-ranging externalized costs that are currently passed on to taxpayers, governments, societies and future generations.” Other actions include “more stringent legislation on animal welfare standards and divestment in industrialized animal agriculture.”

    Also in the study, the authors introduce and discuss the concept of an “All Life” approach. An “All Life” approach emphasizes the protection of the “oneness of life” (humans, animals, plants, the entire planet), and emphasizes that our health, and the health of our planet, are intimately intertwined with the health and wellbeing of all living beings. It emphasizes the interdependence and protection of all life forms and shifts away from a human-centric paradigm to an Earth-centric paradigm.

    We are running out of time to alter our current trajectory, and thus to enact meaningful change that will have a profound impact upon the future wellbeing of the planet and all of its inhabitants. Failure to act will ultimately result in a scenario of irreversible climate change, with widespread famine and disease, global devastation, climate refugees, and warfare following resource scarcity.

    Source: Prof. Andrew Knight

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  • Could Vegan Pet Food Help Save the Planet?

    Could Vegan Pet Food Help Save the Planet?

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    WINCHESTER, England, October 4, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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    Studies show plant-based diets lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and use less land and water. Food energy savings mean more people can be fed. This has triggered calls for vegan diets – but not for our pets. Yet a new major study published in leading scientific journal PLOS ONE has demonstrated very large environmental benefits associated with nutritionally-sound vegan diets – for dogs and cats, as well as people.

    After analysing pet food ingredients in detail, Veterinary Professor Andrew Knight calculated that the world’s dogs and cats consume seven billion land animals annually, as well as billions of fish. If all the world’s dogs went vegan, it would save more GHGs than those emitted by the UK, land larger than Mexico, and could feed 450 million additional people – more than the entire EU. If all the world’s cats went vegan, it could feed 70 million additional people – more than the entire UK. And if all the world’s people went vegan, it would save more GHGs than all those emitted by the entire EU, land larger than Russia – the world’s largest country, combined with India, and would feed around 5.3 billion additional people – two thirds of the Earth’s current population.

    Until recently, vegan diets were not seriously considered for dogs and cats – who are biologically omnivores and carnivores respectively. In the last two years however, many new vegan pet foods have been developed by companies using plant-based ingredients supplemented with vitamins, amino acids and minerals, to ensure all necessary nutrients are included. New studies have shown good health and behavioural outcomes for dogs and cats using such diets. There are now 9 such studies in dogs, and 3 in cats. The most recent very large-scale study showed positive health outcomes in vegan cats, following a similar canine study in 2022. These have driven rapid growth with the vegan dog food market valued at USD 14 billion by 2023, and expected to reach USD 26 billion by 2033.

    Said Professor Knight, “This is game-changing. We’ve long known that plant-based diets are better for the planet, but have not seriously considered pet food. However, pet food clearly has profound environmental impacts. Conversely, very large environmental benefits can be achieved by nutritionally-sound vegan pet food. Large-scale studies have also shown that health outcomes for both dogs and cats are as good or better. And studies of feeding behaviour have demonstrated that average dogs and cats enjoy vegan pet foods as much as those made from meat.”

    He concluded: “Pet owners who care about the environment or their animals’ health should consider nutritionally-sound vegan pet food. However, to safeguard health, it is important that people feed only commercial diets labelled as nutritionally complete, produced by reputable companies with good standards.”

    Source: Prof. Andrew Knight

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  • Shambhala, Primavera Sound, More Named the World’s Greenest Music Festivals In 2022 – EDM.com

    Shambhala, Primavera Sound, More Named the World’s Greenest Music Festivals In 2022 – EDM.com

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    A Greener Festival (AGF), a nonprofit dedicated to improving sustainability of events, tours, venues and more, has revealed the world’s greenest festivals.

    According to AGF, its certification process has been developed over 17 years in consultation with thousands of events, event services, suppliers and sustainability experts. The organization accessed dozens of global events in 2022 and honored 42 festivals and events from 12 countries.

    Green Gathering, Strawberry Fields, Das Fest, DGTL, Robin Hood Annual Benefit, Platinum Jubilee Pageant, We Love Green and Primavera Sound achieved the AGF Certification for sustainability in 2022. Nine festivals and events received an “outstanding” AGF certification, including Shambala, Cambridge Folk Festival, Øyafestivalen and Paradise City Festival, among others.

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    Mikala Lugen

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