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Why does producing meat generally require more land and water than producing fresh plant foods?

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Illustration of a vegan food pyramid divided into four sections: whole grains at the base, followed by vegetables, then fruit, and legumes at the top, with recommended daily servings and images of representative foods in each group. — vegetarianism A vegan food pyramid, which excludes meat and animal products.

Producing meat generally requires significantly more land and water than producing fresh plant foods because of the inherent inefficiencies in the food chain.

When humans consume plant foods directly, they act as primary consumers. However, when humans consume meat, they are secondary consumers, relying on animals that have already consumed large quantities of crops. Because energy is lost as heat at each trophic level, a substantial amount of the energy originally contained in the feed is dissipated before it reaches the human consumer.1

This process necessitates:
* Increased Land Use: Animals require vast amounts of feed, such as corn and soy, which accounts for at least half of all crops grown in the United States. Furthermore, grazing livestock requires large tracts of land, which can lead to soil compaction, erosion, and the destruction of natural habitats.23
* Higher Water Consumption: Raising animals is water-intensive. For instance, producing one pound of beef requires approximately 1,800 gallons of water, compared to only about 302 gallons for a pound of tofu.2

By shortening the food chain and consuming plants directly, humans can increase the total available food supply while reducing the environmental burden on land and water resources.13