Animal agriculture affects global hunger.
With the numbers of people facing hunger worldwide having risen to more a billion for the first time in history, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released a white paper calling for reduced reliance on industrial animal agriculture and greater support instead for plant-based foods to provide nutrition for more people. The report points out that with over 80% of all soy and up to 50% of corn already being fed to livestock, forecasts of animal product consumption doubling by 2050 means that livestock animals may soon be in competition with humans for food.
Worse yet, livestock production is a major factor in global warming, which if continued will only intensify problems such as drought and extreme storms that are already threatening food security worldwide.
Our appreciation, Humane Society of the United States for this wise reminder that global hunger can be alleviated by the simple choice of plant-based foods. May such research as yours lead us to swiftly adopt lifestyles that optimize the food supply for all.
Reference:
http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-impact-of-industrialized-animal-agriculture-on-world-hunger.pdf
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=50669&lang=en
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/publications/whitepapers/farm_animal_welfare.html