For as long as the energy pyramid has been a thing, I suppose.
A lot of good science is testing out things we already know or are pretty sure about.
But yeah it doesn't take a PhD to realize feeding a thing until it's grown takes more resources then just eating the resources you're feeding it.
Ehh, kinda. Like, it's been fairly obvious that eating plants is generally more efficient than eating something else that eats the plants. It's deceptively difficult to study scientifically, though. There can be massive differences depending on what exact plant-based foods and livestock you compare. If I'm understanding correctly (I'm no expert) this is one of the first academic studies that demonstrates this and has produced real numbers instead of rough estimates.
This has been known for eons, hasn't it?
For as long as the energy pyramid has been a thing, I suppose.
A lot of good science is testing out things we already know or are pretty sure about.
But yeah it doesn't take a PhD to realize feeding a thing until it's grown takes more resources then just eating the resources you're feeding it.
Ehh, kinda. Like, it's been fairly obvious that eating plants is generally more efficient than eating something else that eats the plants. It's deceptively difficult to study scientifically, though. There can be massive differences depending on what exact plant-based foods and livestock you compare. If I'm understanding correctly (I'm no expert) this is one of the first academic studies that demonstrates this and has produced real numbers instead of rough estimates.