Cows and other livestock, after all, can often be raised on pasture that would otherwise be unsuitable for growing crops, and they eat crop residues that would otherwise go to waste.

A number of experts have argued that a sustainable food system can and should still include plenty of animals. But dietary changes are often one of the quickest ways for many people to lighten their climate impact, and if many people collectively made these changes, it could start to add up. And, ultimately, the most important thing we can all do is vote, as policy changes have an enormous impact. Still, food consumption is often only a small fraction of a person’s total carbon footprint. But even eating more plants, and less dairy and meat, particularly red meat, can help: According to a World Resources Institute analysis, if the average American replaced a third of the beef he or she eats with pork, poultry or legumes, his or her food-related emissions would still fall by around 13 percent.

Giving up dairy would further reduce those emissions. A number of studies have concluded that people who eat a meat-heavy diet - including much of the population of the United States and Europe - could shrink their food-related footprint by one-third or more by moving to a vegetarian diet.

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