As awareness about ethical considerations with animal treatment and conscious consumption gains traction, more and more people are making a switch to plant-based diets. And this transformation goes beyond immediate benefits and contributes to a larger ecological benefit.
Plant-based meat alternatives have an 89 percent lower environmental impact than traditional animal-based proteins, which presents a significant upside to the overall global footprint. Dawn Moncrief is an advocate for plant-based foods and farming, who is championing measures to mitigate the excessive consumption of resource-intensive foods, such as meat and dairy.
Founder of A Well-Fed World (AWFW) and board member of many notable civic and social organizations, Moncrief believes that part of the solution to reducing the demand for resource-intensive foods comes from changing what people consume. “Demand is a social construct; it’s not a given,” Moncrief shares. “The key here lies in shifting away from resource-intensive foods toward more plant-based alternatives, and in doing so, conserving resources, mitigating climate change, and feeding more people.”
This insight came after Moncrief read a research paper in the late 1990s, which predicted that global meat consumption would double over 50 years. According to her, the report outlined the environmental and social costs of this trend, but did not recommend reducing meat consumption. It only highlighted that an increase in meat consumption would be related to the increase in affluent populations. “They viewed it as inevitable,” she recalls. “And that was frustrating, especially when reducing consumption of animal-based foods should be part of a comprehensive, long-term food security strategy.”
At the heart of her work is raising awareness about how livestock production is a highly resource-intensive way to produce food. Livestock farming is also a key contributor to deforestation and climate change. Even grazing, which is considered more eco-friendly by some proponents, has a significant climate impact because it produces high levels of methane, a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Additionally, while some animals are seen as less inefficient converters of crops to meat,’ the reality is sobering. “Chickens are considered relatively efficient with a 2-to-1 feed to meat ratio,” Moncrief notes. “That means 200 calories of feed to make 100 calories of chicken. But, if we were to think in terms of food waste, that would be a 50% loss. At the other end of the spectrum, beef is considered one of the most inefficient, with a 25-1 ratio when you factor in the non-edible parts. What this means in real terms is that a 100-calorie hamburger patty can take 2,500 crop calories to produce. This is more than a full day’s worth of calories for the average adult.”
In her view, this inefficient redistribution can be countered by making a conscious shift toward plant-based foods, so that resources aren’t diverted from people who need them most.
In addition to supporting plant-based feeding initiatives in low-income countries, AWFW advocates diet transition for middle and high-income consumers, particularly in wealthier nations where over-consumption is the norm. Moncrief says: “Our role is to encourage those with options to make choices that free up resources, reduce environmental strain, and make more food accessible globally.”
And they advance these objectives pragmatically and effectively. Through hunger-relief initiatives like Plants-4-Hunger, Planetary Pulse Project, and partnerships with organizations such as Malnutrition Matters, AWFW supports soy-based micro-businesses in Africa and Asia.
These programs are focused on providing affordable, protein-rich foods like soy milk and baked goods, along with supporting a deeper social endeavor of empowering women, a move that’s proven to strengthen food security. “Empowering women and educating girls keeps income in the family and increases the likelihood it’s spent on food,” Moncrief explains.
Environmental restoration is also woven into the organization’s comprehensive mission. AWFW supports rewilding and tree-planting initiatives that simultaneously combat climate change, reduce grazing and deforestation, and improve food access.
“Food trees are a perfect example that exemplifies our mission; they enable carbon sequestration, increase photosynthesis, restore ecosystems, and provide a sustainable food source,” she says. The organization is also focused on school lunch programs, where they deliver plant-based meals that are both nutritious and environmentally friendly.
Her vision is to normalize plant-based eating as a central part of sustainable food systems. For A Well-Fed World, its message resonates through its initiatives, emphasizing the idea that shifting diets toward plant-based options is an opportunity to improve food efficiency, protect ecosystems, and extend the reach of global food supplies for the planet’s growing population.
“Reducing meat and dairy consumption won’t solve hunger on its own,” Moncrief says. “But it must be a part of the solution. If we want a future where everyone is fed, we can’t ignore the impact of what’s on our plates.”
