Scientist counts cost of food production

A US scientist has looked into the potential impact of replacing the protein in people's diets which is derived from fish with protein from cattle - and said that such a move could devastate the rainforest.

Professor Ray Hilborn, from Washington University, has published research into the impact of protein production on the world's eco systems, concluding that fishing has less of an effect than raising cattle on land.

He claimed that should the food industry turn to getting all its protein from cattle, there would be a need for grazing areas 22 times the size of the current rainforests.

Large areas of the world's rainforests are often cleared for use by the global beef industry, with several big name firms choosing the Amazon as the place to raise their cattle.

"Commercial fishing in particular is held to higher environmental standards. If green groups were consistent and applied those same standards to other forms of food production we wouldn’t have anything to eat," professor Hilborn further explained, conceding that protein production will always have some impact on the planet.

Written by Sandra Mann.

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