Americans Are Now Eating 400 Million Fewer Animals

It looks like those Meatless Mondays really do add up after all. Turns out that 400 million fewer animals were slaughtered in 2014 than in 2007, according to USDA reports. This is due in large part to a rise in flexitarian, or semi-vegetarian, diets.

That doesn’t just benefit animals — it’s good for the earth as well. The livestock industry is a major emitter of harmful gases, including methane and nitrous oxide.

This encouraging trend is expected to continue. Beef production levels this May are 7% lower than May 2014 totals, while lamb production is down a whopping 14% due to decreased demand.

Meatless mentalities are quickly gaining popularity, with 10% of Americans identifying as vegetarian-inclined — meaning they focus on plant-based nutrition and keep consumption of factory farmed meat to a minimum.