Humans now derive about 20 percent of their daily protein intake from animal-based products, reports London’s Guardian. But a new report published by the institute says the world’s population will have to cut that figure to 5 percent by 2050 to accommodate the planet’s “considerable regional water deficits.”
Why not just produce more food?
“Nine hundred million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase,” the report said. “With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land.”
So vegetarianism, the scientists say, is one option to combat the water shortage.
According to the World Water Council, 1.1 billion people now live without clean drinking water.
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