How Vegan Chicken is Reducing Our Environmental Footprint?

At Vegan Essentials, we give a cluck. That’s why we spend some time now and again talking about how our little decisions can greatly impact the planet. One such scenario would be switching to plant-based chicken protein. Does it really make a big difference?

When it comes to making an impact, we will go into detail about the environmental aspect of it. We won’t discuss how it affects your diet right this moment. After all, we’ve spent countless hours doing so already. It’s time to switch it up.

What Is Vegan Chicken? Why Even Eat It?

Vegan chicken is simply a substitute for the real deal. It’s food you can eat knowing that a chicken or an egg isn’t harmed in the making of it. No actual chicken; no actual eggs.

Vegan chicken and similar proteins are made to look, feel, and taste like their counterparts. This is achieved through the use of ingredients like gluten, soy, jackfruit, and others - those together with carefully selected spices and seasonings make them delicious.

There could be a handful of reasons why one would switch to plant-based chicken proteins. Some do because eggs and poultry do come with some cholesterol - which they may be trying to cut back on. Some also care about animals and do not want to see them harmed at all. That’s why vegan and vegetarian diets are getting more and more popular by the day.

What the topic is today, however, would be the environmental impact of chicken farming. We would like to take this moment to warn you that we may get into some pretty difficult topics. Please be advised.

Chickens and the Environment: How Are They Connected?

Chickens are smaller compared to pigs, cows, and goats. So one might wonder if going for plant-based alternatives is a smart endeavor. Seeing as poultry is the second most-consumed meat in the world (next only to pork), it sure is! And the gap’s not wide either. Pork makes up for 36% of the total consumption while poultry comes in close at 33%. To give you a little more of an idea of how close that margin is, beef makes up 24%!

In the United States, chickens are often slaughtered on the 48th day. That’s called the cradle-to-farm gate. In between those days, these chicks and chickens have to be fed and given water. On top of that, they have to be (ideally) given ample space to grow. The energy needed to light up their spaces and similar factors also need to be addressed. These can all add up!

If we take water, for example, it’s not as black and white as you think it would be. You may think the only water needed is the amount given to make sure chickens are properly hydrated. If they get dirty, chances are they’ll be given a small bath. The chicken coops and housing also need to be washed after every batch to keep everything sanitary. Is that it? Nope!

More water is used to grow and maintain crops. These are made into chicken feed. So that also needs to be taken into account. If we simply just used said crops to make plant-based chicken protein, then we save so much precious water!

Though small, chickens do still generate greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4). Globally, the poultry industry produces roughly 360 million tons of greenhouse gases. The total livestock emissions globally are 3.5 billion tonnes whilst the agriculture sector produces 2.5 billion tonnes. See how much that difference is? The environmental impact of chicken farming is no joke.

Also Read - Complete Vegan Chicken Buyer Guide

But Finding Vegan Chicken Isn’t Easy! … Or Is It?

We are aware that there are some barriers to switching to vegan chicken - especially years ago. But now, we’re practically spoiled for choices. Vegan chicken nuggets, tenders, patties… You name it, brands probably make it.

But a new barrier arises. We know that these plant-based alternatives may get a little pricey. But there are genius ways around that. Tofu, vital wheat gluten, and jackfruit are all more affordable and easy-to-attain options. You can get ingredients to make them or just get them in your local markets (or, ahem, here at Vegan Essentials).