Nature Conservancy CEO Discusses Why He’s Vegan

The research is clear: one of the single most important actions each one of us can take to reduce our environmental impact is to choose plant-based foods. After all, “livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems,” according to the 2006 United Nations’ report Livestock’s Long Shadow.

More recently, a 2013 report by the UN’s Environment Programme titled “Our Nutrient World” suggests a “key action” to producing more food with less pollution involves reducing personal consumption of animal protein.

And yet, environmental groups and activists seem to drag their feet when it comes to widely discussing this important issue about our dietary choices and how we can help fight global warming with our forks.

The tide, however, might be turning. In a recent interview with Fortune magazine, the CEO of the Nature Conservancy, Mark Tercek, talked about why he’s vegan:

“On the personal front, I’m a committed vegan for various reasons. If more people had vegetarian or vegan diets, especially in the developed world, the environmental impact would be significant. I sometimes wonder if environmentalists should make a bigger fuss over simple diet changes.”

Tercek, a former managing director and Partner for Goldman Sachs and best-selling author, said it was becoming a parent that sparked his desire to protect nature.  He explains in his Huffington Post bio: “I want to be able to look my kids in the eye and tell them I did all I could to leave the world a better place.”

Each of us can help protect the planet — and animals — simply by making our next meal a vegan meal. Learn more: download a free copy of our Eating Sustainably brochure.  You can also order extra copies to share with friends and family.