According to a viral video circulating on social media, it has been revealed that humans consume an astonishing number of animals each year. The video presents some hard-hitting facts that highlight the scale of animal consumption globally. As per a report by The Economist, farm animals such as chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs outnumber humans, with figures reaching 19 billion, 1.5 billion, 1 billion, and 1 billion, respectively. However, these figures pale in comparison to the number of animals actually consumed by humans.
The video specifically points out that chickens are at the top of the list, with a staggering 205 million slaughtered each day. To put this into perspective, over 140,000 chickens lose their lives every minute. Other animals prominently consumed include sardines (14 billion annually), shrimp (3 billion annually), duck (2.9 billion), and goose (2.1 billion).
The statistics become even more astounding when considering the consumption of marine life. Every year, approximately 2 billion octopuses and 100 million sharks are consumed worldwide. Additionally, the demand for pork products has tripled over the past 50 years, resulting in the slaughter of nearly 1.5 billion pigs annually.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) highlights that the surge in meat consumption is primarily driven by middle-income countries like China, which has become the largest consumer of meat due to its booming economy. In contrast, consumption in Europe and North America has stabilized or even decreased in some regions, according to the WEF. India, despite its rapid population growth, still consumes a relatively small amount of meat compared to the rest of the world.
The rise in chicken consumption can be attributed to poultry replacing pork on dinner tables. Poultry, including chicken, duck, goose, turkey, and fowl, now accounts for one-third of all meat consumed globally, up from just 12 percent in the past. Meanwhile, the popularity of red meat, particularly beef, has declined significantly in the last 50 years, now representing 22 percent of global meat consumption, while remaining nearly five times more popular than lamb.
These statistics shed light on the immense scale of animal consumption worldwide, sparking debates around the ethics and sustainability of meat consumption.
Disclaimer: Only the headline and content of this report may have been reworked by Newsearay, staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. The Article was originally published on Source link
