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I am in one social group and someone is saying, "the global economic system would collapse if the vegetarian diet became popular in the world."

Is this true? Is there any information from economists about how the global economy would be affected if the vegetarian diet became popular?

Nic
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Soheil Paper
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  • Looks like you answered your own question in your edit -- a 1% reduction in GDP is not the same as global economic collapse. – Nic Nov 02 '21 at 16:26
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    Thanks, @Nic, but my initial searching may be wrong, and new comments or responses will probably make it more accurate. – Soheil Paper Nov 02 '21 at 16:52
  • @yiyebo5913_koldpak.com If you want to [answer your own question](https://vegetarianism.stackexchange.com/help/self-answer) that is allowed, but it's best to do that by adding a new answer response, not by editing your question. I've edited your question to remove the half-answer because it didn't really support the question you are trying to ask. I also tried to improve the readability. Hope that's okay. :-) – Nic Nov 02 '21 at 18:30
  • I downvoted your post because a question about `global economic system` does not belong here – jsotola Nov 12 '21 at 17:55
  • @Nic Although your answer goes into much more detail, you may want to edit/remove your comment above. Your comment implies that a 1% reduction is GDP is the outcome, which, to my limited knowledge, is not factual. – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket Nov 17 '21 at 06:12

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I'm not an economist, but global economic collapse seems unlikely. I've assembled a small collection of quotations here from different sources with hypotheses about the economic impact of a big shift toward vegetarian/flexitarian diets.

What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian? (BBC Future)

People formerly engaged in the livestock industry would also need assistance transitioning to a new career [...] Should we fail to provide clear career alternatives and subsidies for former livestock-related employees, meanwhile, we would probably face significant unemployment and social upheaval – especially in rural communities with close ties to the industry.

The dark side of plant-based food – it’s more about money than you may think

Consider the launch of a whole new range of laboratory created “fake meats” (fake dairy, fake eggs) in the US and Europe, oft celebrated for aiding the rise of the vegan movement. Such trends entrench the shift of political power away from traditional farms and local markets towards biotech companies and multinationals.

Vegetarianism is good for the economy too

The additional food that would be produced as a result of a shift to a vegan diet in the US alone could feed 350 million additional people. [...] The value of this food surplus would also offset the loss from the decrease in livestock production. Economic studies show that animal agriculture in a majority of western economies accounts for less than 2% GDP. Some studies in the US suggest a potential reduction in GDP of about 1% but this would be offset by growth in other plant-based markets.

The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism

Out of all the world’s countries, the U.S. would save the most by curbing its taste for meat. Due to its very high per-capita health-care costs, the country could save $180 billion if the population ate according to recommended guidelines, and $250 billion if it eschewed animal food products altogether—more than China, or all of the EU countries combined.

Nic
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