Slaughtering animals feeds world inefficiently

A recent article by Associated Press published in the Marin IJ (“The world wastes 19% of its food, UN says,” March 28) highlighted a vital global issue but missed a significant contributing factor to food waste: the inefficiency of our animal agriculture system.

The alarming statistic of wasted food overlooks the glaring inefficiencies inherent in feeding crops to livestock instead of directly to people. For example, it takes about 20 calories of feed to produce a single calorie of pork. Animals require energy to live, move and breathe. It's analogous to making 20 plates of pasta, eating one and discarding the other 19.

One need only look to Point Reyes National Seashore for evidence of the destructive impacts of even the most esteemed forms of animal agriculture on our ecosystems. This cherished local landscape has been adversely affected by such practices, which is emblematic of a global crisis where vast tracts of land — an area as large as North and South America combined — are dedicated to growing feed for livestock that contribute only a small portion of the world's caloric consumption.

To tackle food waste and the detrimental effects of our current agricultural practices, a concerted effort must be directed toward creating foods that are nutritious, taste good and are affordable, without the need for animal slaughter. There is a growing opportunity for innovative protein production that harnesses plantbased alternatives and cultured animal cells. This is the future of food.

As the founder and president of the nonprofit Food Solutions Action, I am committed to advocating for alternative proteins to both Congress and in state legislatures. We must embrace comprehensive strategies that address the entire scope of food waste, including the reform of animal agriculture.