According to the Economist the world population will increase to 9 billion by 2050, and world food production will need to increase by 70%. This seems like a hard task, except for the fact that we could increase food production by 97% right now by getting rid of all our livestock. It takes 12 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of beef. We could also feed people starving right now. It would take 40 million tons of food to alleviate world hunger. 20 times that amount is fed in grain to livestock. It's also way more environmentally sustainable not to produce livestock. According to the Guardian livestock account for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Now, I'm not saying we should cease all livestock production now, but it seems like scaling down livestock production can substantially help with world hunger and reducing green house gas emissions.

I 100% agree with you on getting rid of meat production, it's expensive, bad for public health, a form of animal cruelty (I could go on) however, since if the US government would try to ban all meat production, it would cause for them to be smacked with lawsuits with the idea of "capitalism" and how the government shouldn't have as heavy of an input onto private corporations, how would this work? I understand the need for it, but we are living in global warming, and yet many people refuse to believe in it. How are we going to convince these people to give up meat and dairy? I'm a vegetarian, and I know that just by mentioning how I don't eat meat, people will stand up and yell at me about how I need to eat meat and why it's "good for me". So how are we supposed to get an entire country to stop eating meat when only 3.2% of Americans are vegetarians or vegans, only 0.5% being vegan? Until vegetarianism is seen widespread as the right choice and the only way to comb at this, nothing is going to happen. So my question for you is this: how do you think the logistics of this are going to work out? How are you going to do it?

You are right that it is pretty much impossible for the government to scale back meat production. According to the food and agriculture association, government policies can mitigate environmental effects of livestock farming through proper disposal of animal carcasses and keeping population densities more spread out. This still doesn't solve the problem of world hunger. I think that a pressing need for food is the only thing that would get people to change, and even then I don't doubt that scientific development could circumvent that occurrence. In the end, I think the only thing we can do right now is try to limit the negative environmental impacts of livestock, and try to help world hunger by helping third world countries. Also, following your example and becoming a vegetarian isn't a bad idea either.

Thanks! And I agree with you in saying that we need to find more environmentally realistic ways to dispose of animal carcasses. However, an easier (albeit grosser) solution would be to make for more parts of the animals to be used (safe/healthily). By making more parts of animals to be used, it could help to make for prices of parts of animals to go down, which will help with domestic hunger. Also, by making more vegan/vegetarian-friendly options, it could help reduce the meat consumption in the US.  And I understand where you're coming from, but how exactly would the US and other countries lower the negative environmental effect? Other than that I agree with you and like your ideas for lowering humanity's carbon footprint through food consumption.