I'm not sure that it supports the conclusions that you (and its author) make. For example: (quoting)
"> For every kilogram of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed nearly 6 kg of plant protein."
6 << 50. And, a lot of that "plant protein" isn't available to people.
"More than 302 million hectares of land are devoted to producing feed for the U.S. livestock population -- about 272 million hectares in pasture and about 30 million hectares for cultivated feed grains."
Much pasture land is pasture because it isn't all that suitable for other purposes. Unless you eat grass/hay....
"THIRSTY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. U.S. agriculture accounts for 87 percent of all the fresh water consumed each year. Livestock directly use only 1.3 percent of that water. But when the water required for forage and grain production is included, livestock's water usage rises dramatically. Every kilogram of beef produced takes 100,000 liters of water. [wheat and potatoes take much less]"
It appears that he's counting rain as "use". While technically true, that water can't be used elsewhere. (Grain land is rarely irrigated and pasture almost never is.)
I suspect that you're referring to the research summarized at http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/aug97/livestock.hrs.htm... .
I'm not sure that it supports the conclusions that you (and its author) make. For example: (quoting)
"> For every kilogram of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed nearly 6 kg of plant protein."
6 << 50. And, a lot of that "plant protein" isn't available to people.
"More than 302 million hectares of land are devoted to producing feed for the U.S. livestock population -- about 272 million hectares in pasture and about 30 million hectares for cultivated feed grains."
Much pasture land is pasture because it isn't all that suitable for other purposes. Unless you eat grass/hay....
"THIRSTY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. U.S. agriculture accounts for 87 percent of all the fresh water consumed each year. Livestock directly use only 1.3 percent of that water. But when the water required for forage and grain production is included, livestock's water usage rises dramatically. Every kilogram of beef produced takes 100,000 liters of water. [wheat and potatoes take much less]"
It appears that he's counting rain as "use". While technically true, that water can't be used elsewhere. (Grain land is rarely irrigated and pasture almost never is.)