The current approach to feed the world’s burgeoning population relies heavily on factory farming to supply meat and dairy products for human consumption. We may eat more animal products than we really need, but the real problem is in the way we choose to supply the demand.

The heart of the problem is that factory farming methods are completely unsustainable, and waste natural resources in a highly inefficient manner. Consider the following:

• We use far more human-edible calories and other resources feeding farm animals than we get back from the meat and dairy products derived from them.
• Studies have indicated that for every 100 calories of cereals fed to farm animals - cereals that humans could eat instead - only 17 calories of meat or dairy are produced.
• It takes 53 gallons of water to produce a single egg, 468 gallons for a pound of chicken, 880 gallons for a gallon of milk, and 1,800 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef.