Dear Editor,
Eat beans, not beings. A major new global study published in Nature Food maps how food production is driving deforestation and climate‑warming carbon emissions across nearly every country on Earth. It confirms that animal agriculture remains one of the most destructive forces behind forest loss. So please, let’s go vegan.
Cows and other sentient beings are forced into systems that treat them as expendable, while animals in nature lose their homes as forests are razed to grow feed or create pasture. These ecosystems store vast amounts of carbon and support extraordinary biodiversity, yet they are being plowed down to sustain diets built around animal suffering.
The study makes clear that protecting forests and the climate requires rethinking what we eat. Choosing vegan foods—like beans, lentils, tofu, and grains—reduces pressure on land and avoids harming animals who value their lives.
For the sake of animals, forests, and a livable future, let’s ditch meat, dairy, and eggs and choose compassion.
Rebecca Libauskas
The PETA Foundation
