Why Care
Agriculture, a significant contributor to air pollution, negatively impacts human health by increasing atmospheric fine particulate matter. In the United States, 80% of the 15,900 annual air quality-related deaths from food production are due to animal-based foods, both directly and indirectly. Implementing on-farm interventions, such as improved livestock waste management and fertilizer application practices, could reduce PM2.5-related mortality by 50%. Perhaps more importantly, shifting towards more plant-based diets while maintaining adequate nutrition could further decrease agriculture’s air quality-related health impacts by 68 to 83%.
Support: Air quality–related health damages of food
Dietary shifts toward more plant-based foods that maintain protein intake and other nutritional needs could reduce agricultural air quality–related mortality by 68 to 83%.