Common Questions and Concerns
Answers to the questions and concerns we hear most often about food, climate and our petition, with links to the evidence.
The big picture
- of all greenhouse gas emissions come from food
- ~26%
- of farmland is used for livestock and their feed
- ~77%
- of the world’s calories those animal products provide
- ~18%
Source: Our World in Data (opens in a new tab), based on Poore & Nemecek (2018). Plant-based food is how we get more food from less land, less water and fewer emissions.
Topic 1 of 5 · 6 questions
Climate
Where food’s emissions really come from, and what does and doesn’t make a difference.
Where emissions come from“Climate change is about cars and power stations, not food.”
Fossil fuels are the biggest cause, but food is a big one too: the food system produces about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, and most of that comes from animal products.
The facts
- Food accounts for roughly 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Animal-based foods cause around 57% of food's emissions, yet provide only about 18% of the world's calories.
- One large study found that a shift to plant-based diets could cut food's emissions by around half and its farmland use by around three quarters.
- On campus, the same pattern shows up: a 2024 Bryant Research study of university meals found plant-based meals produce about 84% less CO₂e than meat-based ones, and use around a tenth of the land.
- A lot of this research comes from universities, such as the University of Oxford's Poore and Nemecek study. We think universities have a responsibility to act on what their own researchers are finding, by making it easier and more accessible for students and staff to make sustainable choices on campus.
The good news
Unlike a new car or a new boiler, you can change what's on your plate today, at no extra cost, and a good vegan lasagne or curry is a very tasty way to do it.
Read more
- Our World in Data: Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (opens in a new tab)
- Bryant Research (2024): Climate-conscious and cost-effective: the case for plant-based university catering (opens in a new tab)
- Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science: Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers (opens in a new tab)
- Xu et al. (2021), Nature Food: Greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods (opens in a new tab)
Fossil fuels vs food“We should focus on fossil fuels, not food.”
We absolutely need to phase out fossil fuels, and we back that fully. But the evidence says we need to tackle food systems too, and food systems get a tiny fraction of the climate funding they need.
Climate finance for food systems: what's needed and what they get - Needed each year by 2030about $1,100 billion
- Received each year (2021/22)about $95 billion
Agrifood systems get about 7% of tracked climate finance, around 8% of what's needed. Source: Climate Policy Initiative (2025).
The facts
- Researchers at the University of Oxford and others found that even if fossil fuel emissions stopped overnight, emissions from food systems alone could push the world past the 1.5°C target within a few decades if current trends continue.
- Despite this, food and farming systems receive only about 7% of global climate finance: roughly $95 billion a year against about $1.1 trillion a year needed by 2030. That is massively under-resourced.
- Most of the growth in that funding is concentrated in just a few regions, mainly the EU and China.
- It's not either/or. Cleaner energy and a better food system are both needed, and food is the one where everyone can act three times a day.
The good news
Food systems are a big opportunity because so little has been tried so far. Every campus that makes plant-based food the easy choice helps close the gap.
Read more
- Climate Policy Initiative (2025): Landscape of Climate Finance for Agrifood Systems (opens in a new tab)
- University of Oxford: We must change what we eat to solve the climate crisis (Clark et al., Science, 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- Our World in Data: Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (opens in a new tab)
Eating local“The most important thing is to eat local.”
Local and seasonal food is lovely, but what you eat matters far more than how far it travelled. Transport is only a small slice of a food's footprint.
The facts
- Transport makes up about 6% of food's emissions on average. For beef it is well under 1%.
- Most emissions happen on the farm and from the land cleared to farm: that's why beef and lamb come out so much higher than peas, beans, tofu or nuts, wherever they come from.
- Beef produced next door can still cause many times the emissions of beans that were shipped across the world.
The good news
You don't have to choose. Local, seasonal plant-based food is the best of both worlds, and swapping a few meals to beans, lentils or tofu is already a big win.
Eating seasonally“Eating seasonally is the best thing I can do for the climate.”
Seasonal food is fresh, tasty and a good habit. It helps most when it means skipping produce grown in heated greenhouses, but what you eat still matters more than when.
The facts
- Out-of-season food grown locally in heated greenhouses can have a bigger footprint than the same food grown in season elsewhere and transported, because heating takes a lot of energy.
- Fruit and vegetables have emissions as much as 10 to 50 times lower than beef and dairy, in or out of season.
- The lowest-impact fruit and veg are grown outdoors in their natural season with little extra energy.
The good news
Seasonal plant-based cooking is delicious: roasted squash and root veg in autumn, hearty soups in winter, and berries and salads in summer. In-season produce is often at its cheapest and tastiest too.
Flights“Flying is the real problem, not what I eat.”
Flying matters and we should cut unnecessary flights. It's also true that food's emissions are several times larger, and meals are something nearly everyone can change straight away.
The facts
- Aviation causes about 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions; food causes about a quarter of all greenhouse gases.
- Very little food is flown in (about 0.16% of food miles), so it's not the airfreight that makes food high-impact. It's what's being grown and raised.
- Most students can't easily change how they travel, but everyone can change what they eat for lunch.
The good news
It's not either/or. Every plant-based meal is a small climate action that doesn't cost you a holiday.
Read more
Grass-fed beef“Grass-fed beef is good for the climate.”
Grass-fed beef can be a better option than feedlot beef in some ways, but it still has one of the highest footprints of any food, and it needs a lot of land.
The facts
- Grazing can store some carbon in soil, but research from the University of Oxford's Food Climate Research Network found this offsets only a fraction of cattle's emissions, and it stops after a few decades.
- Pasture takes up land that could otherwise regrow forest or other habitats, which would store far more carbon.
- Cutting back on meat is nearly always better for the climate than switching to “sustainable” meat.
- This is research from universities too (the Food Climate Research Network is based at the University of Oxford), which is another reason we think universities should lead by example in their own canteens.
The good news
Beans, lentils, tofu and mushrooms make brilliant chillies, burgers and bolognese, with a fraction of the land and emissions.
Topic 2 of 5 · 3 questions
Nature and resources
Land, wildlife, rainforests and water.
Biodiversity and land“Farming animals doesn't really hurt nature.”
Farming is the biggest cause of habitat loss on land, and animal farming takes most of the farmland: about three quarters of it, for a small share of our food.
Livestock: what they use and what they provide - Share of the world's farmland usedabout 77%
- Share of the world's protein providedabout 37%
- Share of the world's calories providedabout 18%
Livestock and the crops grown to feed them. Source: Our World in Data, based on Poore & Nemecek (2018).
The facts
- Livestock and the crops grown to feed them use about 77% of the world's farmland, but supply only around 18% of calories and 37% of protein.
- A Chatham House report found agriculture is the identified threat to about 24,000 of the 28,000 species at risk of extinction.
- A plant-based food system needs far less land, leaving more room for wildlife.
- Universities teach and publish this science. We think they have a responsibility to make the sustainable choice the easy, accessible one on their own campuses.
The good news
Eating more plants frees up land for forests, wetlands and wildlife to return. Great for nature, and often a lovely excuse to try new food.
Soy and rainforests“Soy is destroying the rainforest.”
Most of the world's soy never reaches a human: around three quarters of it is fed to animals. Tofu, tempeh and soy milk are a small part of the story.
Where the world's soy goes - Animal feedabout 77%
- Eaten directly (tofu, soy milk and similar)about 7%
The rest goes to other uses, such as oils. Source: Our World in Data.
The facts
- Around 77% of global soy is used for animal feed; only a small share (about 7%) is eaten directly as tofu, soy milk and similar foods.
- Eating soy directly takes far less land than feeding it to animals first and eating the meat, milk or eggs.
The good news
Soy is one of the best plant proteins around: complete protein, cheap, and tofu, tempeh and soy milk are very versatile.
Water use“Plant milks use loads of water. Almond milk is as bad as anything.”
Agriculture uses about 70% of the world's freshwater, and animal products need the most. Almond milk does use more water than other plant milks, but still less than dairy.
Freshwater needed to make one litre of milk - Dairy milkabout 630 litres
- Almond milkabout 370 litres
- Oat milkabout 50 litres
- Soy milkabout 30 litres
Rounded freshwater withdrawals. Source: Our World in Data, based on Poore & Nemecek (2018).
The facts
- Per litre, dairy milk takes roughly 630 litres of freshwater, almond milk about 370, oat milk about 50 and soy milk about 30.
- Oat, soy and pea milks are also much lower in emissions and land use than dairy.
The good news
There's a plant milk for every taste: oat for coffee, soy for cooking, pea for cereal. All of them are easy on the planet.
Topic 3 of 5 · 3 questions
Price, health and taste
Is plant-based food affordable, nutritious and delicious?
Price and access“Plant-based food is expensive. Only some people can afford it.”
Everyday plant-based staples are some of the cheapest foods in any shop, and studies suggest plant-based diets are among the cheapest in wealthier countries. Fancy vegan substitutes cost more, but you don't need them.
University meals compared: cost and emissions Ingredient cost per meal (meat-based = 100)
- Meat-based100
- Vegetarianabout 88
- Plant-basedabout 70
Emissions per meal (kg CO₂e)
- Meat-based3.2 kg
- Vegetarian1.5 kg
- Plant-based0.5 kg
Averages across 45 sample university meals. Costs are what the ingredients cost to buy, not menu prices. Source: Bryant Research (2024).
The facts
- A 2024 study by Bryant Research looked at university catering specifically, comparing 45 sample meals made from 140 ingredients. Plant-based meals cost about 30% less in ingredients than meat-based ones, and about 21% less than vegetarian ones. The study was done with Plant Based Universities and Humane Society International/UK, and measures what the food costs to buy, not menu prices.
- Dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, rice, pasta, oats, tinned tomatoes, peanut butter and frozen veg are all low-cost basics.
- An Oxford modelling study of 150 countries found vegan diets were the cheapest in high-income countries, costing up to a third less than a typical diet. Oxford is a university, and we think universities should put findings like this into practice on campus.
- That's why we're asking universities to make campus food affordable as well as tasty, so nobody has to choose between price and values.
The good news
Lentil dal, bean chilli, chickpea curry and peanut noodles are student favourites for a reason: tasty, filling, and kind to your wallet.
Read more
- Bryant Research (2024): Climate-conscious and cost-effective: the case for plant-based university catering (opens in a new tab)
- University of Oxford: Sustainable eating is cheaper and healthier (opens in a new tab)
- Springmann et al. (2021), The Lancet Planetary Health: The global and regional costs of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns (opens in a new tab)
Protein and health“Where do you get your protein? Is it even healthy?”
Plants are full of protein, and major health bodies agree that a well-planned plant-based diet is healthy at every stage of life.
The facts
- Lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, seitan, peas, nuts, seeds and soy milk are all great protein sources.
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy and nutritionally adequate for all stages of life, including for athletes.
- Everyone eating plant-based should take a vitamin B12 supplement or eat B12-fortified foods. It's the one thing worth planning for.
The good news
Plant-rich diets are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and they're full of fibre and flavour.
Taste and variety“It's just salad and bland food. I'd miss my favourites.”
Many of the world's best-loved dishes are already plant-based, and the choice has never been bigger or tastier.
The facts
- Indian dals, Ethiopian injera platters, Mexican bean tacos, Thai curries, Middle Eastern falafel and Italian pasta are all naturally plant-based or easily made so.
- Plant-based burgers, nuggets, ice cream, cheese and milks are widely available if you want your favourites.
- You don't have to be perfect. Every plant-based meal counts, and trying one a week is a great start.
The good news
Plant-based eating is a chance to discover new flavours. Ask us for our favourite recipes!
Topic 4 of 5 · 2 questions
Choice and dietary needs
Freedom of choice, allergies, religion and other diets.
Choice“You're taking away my choice.”
It's a fair worry, so here's the honest picture. Our petition asks for the food the university itself serves to be plant-based. It doesn't tell anyone what to eat at home or off campus, and plant-based food is a very wide choice.
The facts
- The petition covers food served by the university and bodies like student unions: canteens, cafés and vending machines. Students can still eat anything they like away from those places, and are of course free to bring their own food onto campus too.
- Every menu is already a set of choices made by somebody. Today, students who are vegan, halal, kosher or allergic can find only a dish or two they can eat at many outlets.
- Plant-based covers a huge range: dishes from every cuisine, plus burgers, nuggets, pizza, pastries and ice cream.
- The petition asks that the food be affordable, tasty, nutritious, accessible and culturally relevant, so the menu has to work for the whole campus.
The good news
With one menu everyone can eat from, friends with different diets can sit down at the same table, and nobody has to ask “is there anything I can have?”
Allergies, religion and diets“What about allergies, religious diets and other dietary needs?”
Plant-based menus can make campus food easier for many people, and we want to get the rest right too: clear labelling, and good options for those with other needs.
The facts
- Plant-based food has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs. That removes several major allergens (milk, eggs, fish and shellfish) and the question of whether meat is halal or kosher or how it was prepared.
- It suits many religious and cultural diets, including halal, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain traditions, and people avoiding dairy because of lactose intolerance.
- Plant-based does not mean allergen-free. Nuts, peanuts, soy, gluten, sesame and others are still common, so menus need clear ingredient and allergen labels and well-run kitchens.
- Some needs are about more than meat or dairy, for example gluten-free, nut-free, or traditions that also avoid ingredients like onion, garlic or alcohol. Good campus catering should offer options and make it easy to ask.
- That's why the petition asks for food that is accessible and culturally relevant. Students with particular needs should be part of the conversation when menus change.
The good news
Done well, a plant-based canteen is more inclusive than a mixed one, because far more students can eat with confidence at every outlet.
Topic 5 of 5 · 1 question
Making a difference
Why universities and campuses matter.
Making a difference“One person can't make a difference.”
On your own, your choices count; together with a whole university, they add up. That's why our petition asks campuses to make plant-based food the standard: tasty, affordable and accessible.
The facts
- A single campus canteen makes thousands of food decisions every week. Changing the menu changes all of them at once.
- When plant-based dishes are well-made and affordable, people choose and enjoy them. No lecture needed.
- Universities are home to much of the research showing food systems need to change. We think they have a responsibility to make sustainable choices easier and more accessible for the people on their campuses.
- Signing takes under a minute, and chapters use signatures to show their university that students want this.
The good news
You're not alone: Plant-Based Campus chapters at many universities are working on this together.
Want your university to serve tasty, affordable plant-based food?
Add your name to our petition. It takes under a minute.
Sign the petitionFigures are rounded and come from the sources linked in each answer.