Answer:
The author cites this information in the article C) To respond to the counterclaim that veganism is bad for the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the author has a statement that says veganism is bad for the environment, all of the lines in this excerpt show factual information that is not veganism the one that affects nature, it is it's counterpart the meat-lover culture the one that uses most resources in order to keep the production going, making a very strong defense point to support the answer to the counterclaim