Every year in Europe, we use tonnes of nitrogen fertilisers to make our fields more productive. Unfortunately, most of this nitrogen is wasted and does not help the growth of seeds and plants by leaching into the soil, groundwater and air. This can be remedied through a change in our diet and technical solutions to be used in agriculture.
This is what the Appetite for Change report, published today by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Edinburgh, Scotland, argues. This approach consists of solutions related to our diet. According to the authors, halving the consumption of meat and cheese, together with better management of agricultural activities ensures a reduction in the inefficient use of nitrogenous fertilisers.
The advice is to prefer plant-based diets, thereby reducing the nitrogen input into the soil and increasing the overall efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser use.
Finally, halving the consumption of meat and dairy products would be best. Not considering the benefits this would bring on a larger scale. But beware! Eliminating these foods altogether is not the solution, as there would be no environmental benefits to make such a major social sacrifice.
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