Comparison of Protein and Caloric Energy (KCal) Produced Per Acre on U.S. Farms

By James Videle

The Humane Party’s Economic Transition Team has revealed through a series of publications, that:

• Plant-based agriculture is more productive than animal-based agriculture
• Plant-based industries are more efficient and profitable than animal-based industries
• Manure from the animal-based agriculture industry is toxifying lands and waterways in the United States
• Vegan-organic agriculture is vastly more productive than animal agriculture
• Over 87% of all jobs in food related industry sectors support or explicitly exploit animals

The work has been revealing and points directly at the need to convert the United States agriculture system 100% to plant-based agriculture.  However, peer reviewers and critics of the Economic Transition Team’s work have specifically addressed the issue of nutrition.  If one were to eliminate animal foods completely from one’s diet, where would one obtain protein and energy?

The Economic Transition Team is happy to announce that it has completed its report on Comparing Protein and Caloric Energy (Kcal) Produced per Acre on US Farms.

The following findings continue to show why a complete shift is necessary now:

• Soybeans are the highest producer of protein per acre at 513,066 (g)/acre
• Soybeans, dry peas and dry beans all yield more protein per acre than the most productive animal product, chicken for meat (163,212 g/acre)
• Soybeans produce 314% more protein per acre than chicken
• Soybeans are the highest producer of calories per acre at 6,271,268 (g)/acre
• All plant-based crops in the assessment—soybeans, dry beans, dry peas, lentils, wheat, and sunflower seeds—yield more calories (kcal) per acre than the most productive animal product, chicken for meat (1,496,809/acre)
• Soybeans produce 419% more calories per acre than chicken

Unequivocally, protein from soybeans, dry beans, dry peas, lentils, wheat, and sunflower seeds are viable replacements for animal products.  In comparing caloric energy (kcals), the differences are even more dramatic.  Every plant-based crop produced more calories per acre than chicken for meat.  While this report does not completely address vitamins and minerals necessary for human needs (a task that will be left to the medical and nutritional community), it does solidly prove that plant-based proteins and calories should be the only cultivated options.

The numbers analyzed for the animal products are specific to the United States.  Farmers in the U.S. would claim that they have the highest efficiency and productivity in the world.  If that is in fact the case, the differences in plant-based proteins and energy sources may even be higher in favor of plants in other countries where raising animals is occurring.  At any rate, it is clear that in the United States the exploitation of farmland for raising animals is unnecessarily wasteful, while billions of animals are needlessly suffering.  In order to ensure a secure and viable agricultural America for future generations, a complete transition towards cultivating solely plant-based crops should be championed without delay.  Through schools, on farms, and within governmental programs, the United States has the power to change.