Shifting to plant diets could slash world’s need for farm labour by up to 30 per cent by 2030: Study

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: A shift towards plant-based diets could lower the world’s requirement of agricultural labour by up to nearly 30 per cent by 2030 — the equivalent of up to 100 million full-time jobs — indicating a need for policies to support a fair transition for workers, according to a study. Estimates published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal also show that while countries practising a livestock-heavy agriculture would see the highest fall in labour demand, lower-income countries could need 18-56 million workers more to grow fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Switching to a plant-based diet, which favours fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts and small portions of meat and dairy, is among the recommendations described by the United Nations for reducing one’s carbon foot