Tackling biodiversity: What if we released all cows into the wild?

The aim is to find an action or set of actions that reduces the impact to within the uncertainty range or boundary (Rockstrom and Willet, EAT Commission). The EAT Commission suggests shifts away from animal sources and toward diets rich in plant-based foods. Those opposed to initiatives like these seem to always ask what are we going to do with all the animals if we are not eating them? This is an important question as more than 820 million people still lack sufficient food and many more consume either low-quality or too many foods (Rockstrom and Willet, EAT Commission). But agricultural priorities will need to shift, and livestock production needs to be considered in specific contexts. Therefore, I propose a thought experiment: What would happen if we released all the cows into the wild?

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I am the Essaiyan — Part Healthcare Professional. Researcher. Public Health. Writer. Scholar. I need at least 237 mL of coffee daily.

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Tyne Riddick

I am the Essaiyan — Part Healthcare Professional. Researcher. Public Health. Writer. Scholar. I need at least 237 mL of coffee daily.