The sustainable pet food dilemma

Huitson, Kelly

doi:10.12968/vetn.2022.13.10.444

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…As shown in this study, the effects of meat-based dog and cat food, are marked. Others (e.g., [ 7 , 100 ]) have suggested that animals with lower dietary requirements (e.g., cats, small dogs), or herbivorous animals (e.g., horses, rabbits and rodents), could be kept instead. This has some merit.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These compare favourably to those found within other dog foods [ 104 ]. Many other nutritionally-sound vegan dog and cat foods already exist [ 100 ], and this sector is growing rapidly [ 51 ]. It is likely that the most effective way to reduce environmental impacts associated with guardianship of companion animals, is to transition them on to nutritionally-sound vegan diets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relative benefits for environmental sustainability of vegan diets for dogs, cats and people

Knight

2023

PLoS ONE

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Environmental impacts of the livestock sector are proportional to consumption levels. To assess the relative consumption of livestock animals within the diets of dogs, cats and people, this study examined their dietary energy needs within the US in 2020, and globally in 2018. Also studied were US pet food ingredients, and environmental sustainability indicators for plant- and animal-based foods consumed globally. Relative consumptions of average livestock animals were: US: dogs– 17.7%, cats– 2.3%, humans– 80.0%; and globally: dogs– 7.7%, cats– 1.2%, humans– 91.1%. Full transition to nutritionally-sound vegan diets would spare from slaughter the following numbers of terrestrial livestock animals annually (billions): US: dogs– 1.7, cats– 0.2, humans– 7.8, and globally: dogs– 6.0, cats– 0.9, humans– 71.3, as well as billions of aquatic animals in all dietary groups. Very large impact reductions were also associated with land and water use, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), acidifying and eutrophifying gases, and biocide use, in all dietary groups. If implemented globally, nutritionally-sound vegan diets would free up land larger than the following nations: dogs–Saudi Arabia or Mexico, cats–Japan or Germany, humans–Russia–the world’s largest country–combined with India. Such diets would save freshwater volumes greater than all renewable freshwater in the following nations: dogs–Denmark, cats–Jordan, humans–Cuba. Such diets would reduce GHGs by amounts greater than all GHG emissions from following nations: dogs–South Africa or the UK, cats–Israel or New Zealand, humans–India or the entire EU. The numbers of additional people who could be fed using food energy savings associated with vegan diets exceeded the 2018 human populations of the following nations: dogs–the entire European Union, cats–France or the UK, humans–every single nation or collective region on Earth, as defined by the World Bank. All of these estimates are conservative.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%