thecostofbeef.org
↑ upstream — what goes in
Feed consumed
Water used
since you opened this page
0
cows slaughtered
00:00:00
↓ downstream — what comes out
Beef produced
Beef wasted
CO₂e emitted by beef production

A more efficient plate

CO₂e and water needed to produce 100g of protein

CO₂ emitted Water used Animal lives ended
Beef
50 kg 
7,700 L 
 
Tofu
3.5 kg14× less
2,200 L3.5× less
0
Lentils
1.4 kg36× less
900 L9× less
0
Chickpeas
0.8 kg62× less
800 L10× less
0
Peas
0.4 kg125× less
500 L15× less
0

Per 100g protein · CO₂e: Poore & Nemecek 2018 · Water: Water Footprint Network

What can you do?

01 Try Meatless Monday

Skipping beef once a week can cut your food-related carbon footprint by up to 15%. Small change, real impact.

02 Reduce, don't quit

The Reducetarian Foundation helps you cut back at your own pace. Every meal you swap counts.

03 Read the data

Our World in Data explains precisely why what you eat matters far more for the climate than where it comes from.