The last paragraph sums up a big part of the problem in my mind. We're supposed to stop keeping animals, yet use less chemicals, or ideally be organic, and stop damaging soils when the best method of improving soil is growing grass. Its all contradictory. And then most of the ingredients for vegan meals are imported from places with a high reliance on irrigation or bigger soil degradation issues than us, and in some cases like quinoa pushing up prices for locals so that they can't afford their own food.Grass sequesters carbon faster when growing, grazing, crapping and trampling builds soil too, which means there is more 'sponge' to capture carbon, as soon as you plough or cultivate soil you start to burn Organic matter which means less sequestration. I would quite like to see a comparison of vegan and 'normal' diet and the carbon footprints.
I like to ponder the statement 'Organic Vegan' occasionally. Organic Agriculture relies on animals, so any crops grown organically relies on animal inputs in one way or another, unless you are really buggering the soil.
If someone can show me how to grow a balanced vegan diet in this country on a variety of soils I'll go along with it, but until then I'm not changing.