• intensely_human@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    The question of how much energy is used to feed people. Is it more energy efficient to grow an avocado to ship it to sweden, or raise a cow in sweden?

    • 9bananas@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      in case you actually want to know the answer:

      it’s the avocado being shipped. and by, like, a mile and a half. it’s not even close.

      raising cattle is the single most energy, water, and CO2 intensive food production there currently is.

        • 9bananas@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          ???

          except:

          • lots of land
          • feed (which requires a LOT of land)
          • massive amounts of water
          • insane amounts of antibiotics and assorted other medicine
          • stupid amounts of electricity
          • etc.

          raising cattle on a commercial scale requires mind boggling resources!

          every single study on environmental impacts of food production lists beef as the number 1 worst food source in terms of environmental impacts period.

          “Raising cattle doesn’t require anything.” - yeah, in fantasy land.

          • CapeWearingAeroplane@sopuli.xyz
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            5 months ago

            The basis of this thread was that livestock can be raised on land that is not viable for farming. Re-do the calculation when taking into account that the livestock wander freely ten months a year, and that feed is grown on land too harsh for all or most crops, and let me know how it turns out.

            • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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              5 months ago

              Re-do the calculation when taking into account that the livestock wander freely ten months a year,

              Do you think farmers just let their livestock roam freely over the countryside for 10 months? With no interaction from the farmer? Then the farmer just goes and collects them when they feel like it?