Beans: the sustainable protein of the future
Beans are one of the planet’s most sustainable protein sources. Beans use dramatically less water, land, and petroleum than do livestock, and they don’t pollute the planet with harmful byproducts like methane and other greenhouse gasses. The following are some of the key environmental benefits of beans.
Climate
- Nearly 15% of global greenhouse gasses come from the production of meat, dairy, and eggs. Greenhouse gasses are significant contributors to climate change.
- Researchers concluded that replacing beef with beans in the U.S. could accomplish up to 75% of the total GHG reduction needed to meet climate goals.
- Unlike livestock production, beans actually benefit the environment from which they are grown by converting the nitrogen in the air into a usable form in the soil.
Land
- Eighty percent of the world's agricultural land is used for raising livestock.
- Cattle require 20 times more land than beans (per unit of protein).
- A complete shift from beef to bean consumption in the US would free up more than 40% of U.S. cropland.
Soil
- Even after beans are harvested, some of the nitrogen in the beans’ roots stays in the soil, which helps the soil quality and reduces the need for excess fertilizers for the next year’s crops.
- In agriculture, rotating legumes with cereals or other crops can help increase future crop yields and reduce occurrence of disease.
Water
- For beef, the water footprint per gram of protein is 6 times larger than for pulses.
- Bean cultivation typically requires less fertilizer than animal production, thus reducing the amount of chemical run off and preserving water quality.
Biodiversity
- Beans can help promote biodiversity and soil fertility by fixing their own nitrogen into the soil.
- Beans help stimulate the growth of living organisms and build ecological complexity by serving as essential components of the natural functioning of ecosystems.
