Producing meat takes up large amounts of land, water and other resources. Some people are promoting vegetarian diets as better for people and the planet. To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

As you know, demand creates supply, no matter what field of human activity we are talking about. Animal husbandry is no exception: the growing demand of the world's population for food contributes to the acceleration of the development of this area of agriculture. Today, the number of cows is second only to one mammal on earth-man. And if we take into account the total weight, then here our big horned brothers have broken all records, and the absolute leadership on the planet belongs to them. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this: fresh meat and dairy products are just as necessary for a person as bread and vegetables. However, there are also pitfalls, and animal husbandry, put on a grand scale, has a considerable impact on the environment. It is hard to believe that herds of cattle can cause any tangible harm to nature, but this is actually true. If we really want to reduce the human impact on the environment, the simplest and cheapest thing anyone can do is to eat less meat, and it is better to give it up altogether. Behind most portions of beef or chicken that end up on our plate is an extraordinarily wasteful, land-and energy-consuming farming system that has cut down forests, polluted oceans, rivers, seas, and air, is dependent on oil and coal, and bears a significant share of the responsibility for climate change. The UN, scientists, economists, and politicians identify the modern way of cattle breeding as one of the main causes of many interrelated human and environmental problems. On Earth, 1 billion people do not have enough food, and this figure will increase to 3 billion in the next 50 years, so there is an urgent need to rethink our relationship with animals. Livestock farming contributes significantly to soil degradation, climate change, air pollution, water depletion and water pollution, and biodiversity loss. The conclusions reached by the scientists do not inspire optimism: 1. Global meat production is expected to more than double in the next 50 years. In 2003, the average annual meat consumption in the United States was 271 pounds per person; in India, it was 11 pounds per person. 2. Animal husbandry exploits 30 percent of the entire surface of our planet and 70 percent of agricultural land. 3. This sector is a source of more greenhouse gases (mainly methane) than cars and other forms of transport. In addition, livestock production produces almost two-thirds of ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to the formation of acid rain. 4. More than 8 percent of the water used by humanity is accounted for by livestock production, in which water is used mainly for irrigation of forage crops. 5. In the United States, livestock farming is responsible for 55 percent of soil erosion and water pollution, 37 percent of all pesticide use, and 50 percent of all antibiotic use. 6. Most threatened species suffer from habitat loss — at least in part - "thanks" to animal husbandry. To solve these problems requires the efforts of not only scientists, animal breeders, veterinarians, but the entire community as a whole. First of all, it is necessary to rationally use natural resources in the production of agricultural products, organize agriculture on a scientific basis and pay appropriate attention to agroecological issues Animal husbandry does no more harm to the environment than people and crop production, so becoming a vegetarian will not help the environment. Both for crop production and for animal husbandry, there are methods that cause minimal damage to the environment or even do not cause it. But the point here is that it is not economically profitable for either individual entrepreneurs or countries. This is beneficial only from an environmental point of view, and as long as the world is ruled by money, and not by common sense, the environmental situation on Earth will only worsen.