One Fork

Statistics

TheNumbersThatFrametheConversation

A canonical, sourced reference of the figures most often cited (and most often mis-cited) in discussions of animal agriculture, plant-based diets, and food-system climate impact.

Scale

How many animals?

These are the orders of magnitude that frame the conversation. Sources: FAOSTAT, Our World in Data, fishcount.org.uk.

0 bn
Land animals killed for food per year (FAO)
0 bn
Chickens slaughtered annually — over 90% of farmed land animals
0.0 bn
Pigs slaughtered annually
0 M
Cattle slaughtered annually
0–3 trn
Fish killed annually (fishcount estimate; excludes by-catch)
0 bn
Day-old male chicks killed annually by egg industry

Climate

Food-system greenhouse gases

Sources: Poore & Nemecek (Science, 2018), IPCC AR6, FAO Pathways to Lower Emissions (2023).

0%
Of global GHG emissions come from food (Poore & Nemecek 2018)
0%
Of food-system emissions come from animal-based foods
0%
Of methane emissions from human activity come from livestock
0×
Methane's warming potency vs CO₂ over 20 years
0%+
Reduction in diet-related GHG emissions possible from a vegan shift

Land & water

What animal agriculture uses

Sources: Poore & Nemecek 2018; FAO; Water Footprint Network.

0%
Of global agricultural land is used for livestock (feed + grazing)
0%
Of global calories supplied by animal products
0%
Reduction in agricultural land use possible with global plant-based shift
0,000 L
Water per kg of beef
0,250 L
Water per kg of lentils
0%+
Of Amazon deforestation driven by cattle ranching

Health

What the evidence shows

Sources: WHO, IARC, Adventist Health Study-2, EPIC-Oxford, BROAD study, BMJ meta-analyses.

Group 0
WHO/IARC classification of processed meat as a carcinogen (2015)
Group 0A
Red meat classified as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' (2015)
0%
Lower ischaemic heart disease risk in vegetarians (EPIC-Oxford)
0–30%
LDL cholesterol reduction typical on a WFPB diet
0%+
Type-2 diabetes reduction in Adventist cohort vegans vs omnivores

Antibiotics & pandemics

The biosecurity cost

Sources: WHO, OIE/WOAH, FAO, Centre for Disease Dynamics.

0%
Of all medically-important antibiotics globally are used in livestock
0 M
Projected annual antimicrobial-resistance deaths by 2050 (O'Neill review)
0%
Of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin

Markets

Where the food economy is heading

Sources: GFI, Bloomberg Intelligence, Mintel, Statista.

$0 bn
Global plant-based food market in 2024
0%
CAGR projected for plant-based foods to 2030
0 in 4
Gen Z consumers in the EU identify as flexitarian or plant-based
0+
Companies signed to the Better Chicken Commitment

Policy

Bans, votes and laws that have moved

Sources: EU Commission, USDA, national legislation registers.

0
EU ban on conventional battery cages takes effect
0
France & Germany ban day-old chick maceration
0
UK formally recognises decapod crustaceans as sentient
0
African Union votes for 15-year donkey-skin export ban
0+
Countries with national fur-farming bans

Citation

How to cite this page

One Fork. (2025). Animal Agriculture & Plant-Based Statistics. https://onefork.org/statistics

Every figure above links to a primary source via the section introduction. If you spot a number that should be updated, write to hello@onefork.org.