Leading scientists at the Stockholm Interna-tional Water Institute (SIWI), Sweden, have warned that the world may have to become almost entirely vegetarian by 2050.

The scientists, led by Malik Falkenmark, in the research report, claimed that with the world’s “spiralling” populations, there will simply not be enough meat for people within decades.

They said if the current population growth continues, there could be an additional two billion people alive by 2050.
The report, called “Feeding a thirsty world: Challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world,” is being released at the start of the annual world water conference in Stockholm.

There, 2,500 politicians, United Nations bodies, non-governmental groups and researchers from 120 countries are meeting to address global water supply problems.

The report says dramatic cuts in our meat consumption are the only answer.

In their submission, they said animal base would have dropped to just 5 per cent of our total calories.

For these reasons, they believe “the world’s population explosion means the majority of people will have to turn vegetarian by 2050.”

“There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected nine billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations,” the report said.

“There will be just enough water if the proportion of animal-based foods is limited to 5 per cent of total calories and considerable regional water deficits can be met by a reliable system of food trade,’ it states.

Humans currently get about 20 per cent of their protein from animal-based products.

“We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future,” said the Report’s Editor, Anders Jagerskog

The British Daily Mail had reported that a UN report released in June likewise emphasised that meat production consumes the lion-share of the world’s fresh water supply, 38 per cent of the world’s habitable land and contributes to 19 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations found vegan and vegetarian diets to be the least taxing on the world’s shrinking resources.