In the future we will all be vegetarians?

Scientists from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) have published a report in which they warn that most of the planet's inhabitants could have to become vegetarian in 2050 if we do not find another way to solve the lack of water to which we we will face in the future. According to the researchers, in the next 40 years the population will increase by another 2,000 million that will be added to the current 7,000. The arable land available to feed 9 billion people will not be enough and therefore its size will have to increase.

Specifically, by 2050 60% of the population will suffer from a shortage of water for irrigation . A third of the world's arable land is used for agricultural crops intended to feed animals, while livestock consumes water in an amount between five and ten times greater than the cultivation of plants. Consequently, in order to save water, humanity will be forced to reduce its meat consumption several times over.

Of the 3000 calories a day that a human being consumes on average, 20% currently comes from animal products . According to the SIWI recommendations, this figure should be reduced by up to 5% , which would make it possible to reduce the water deficit by more than 35%. And if each individual consumed 2,200 calories a day instead of 3,000, the consumption of this vital liquid would decrease between three and five times more. "It is clear that we need a new recipe to feed the world in the future," concludes Anders Jagerskog, editor of the report.