MUSINGS FOR THOSE WHO ATTEMPTED ‘NO MEAT MAY’
How my switch to a plant-based diet happened when I looked at the food system.
I became vegetarian because I thought - imagine what we could do with all the land and resources if we didn’t dedicate it to raising, killing and eating animals.
I had this idea in my head of more forests, more wildlife and a bit less cruelty to our animal kin.
And this decision was made so much easier after recognising all the delicious meat-free food one can indulge in.
However, I still get routinely told 3 simple mistruths by advocates of eating meat.
‘I eat organic meat, locally sourced’ – so my consumption of meat isn’t ‘bad’.
The truth:
Pasture-fed and organic meat isn’t good for the planet. If everyone ate pasture-fed meat, we would need several new planets on which to produce it.
I applaud those that can afford higher welfare standards in some instances, but the land, water, methane, carbon footprint just makes organic and local very greenwashy.
Furthermore, your field-dwelling happy cow that is being marketed to you probably lives most of its life in a shed. Indeed, the living standards of most of what ‘we’ eat is actually pretty shocking.
I strongly recommend anyone to read up on this if they can stomach it. There is way too much here for this paltry blog post, but the way we feed, traffic, and kill livestock is upsetting. That’s just a fact.
2. ‘It’s important to support farmers.’
The truth:
It isn’t profitable and isn’t good for farmers – speak to a chicken, pig or cow farmer in the UK. They’re not happy and their industry is struggling.
Furthermore, you’re probably paying more for an inferior product as we import more and inflation bites. With meat prices being up 17% this year, (ONS), you’re paying more but UK farmers aren’t seeing it.
3. ‘I need a high protein diet which you can’t get from just eating veg’
The truth:
This one is just nonsense. I recommend this Netflix documentary which might change your mind.
Not to mention studies linking processed meat to cancer. There’s nothing healthy about ‘high protein’ red meat.
And finally, some statistics to rattle off in the pub.
Agriculture dominated by meat and dairy production is:[NR1]
o The biggest cause of the sixth mass extinction
o Emits more greenhouse gases than the entire global transport sector
o Uses 70% of all freshwater withdrawals
o Caused 80% of deforestation this century
We use 28% of our planet’s surface just for livestock grazing.
So, all of this is perhaps wallpaper to many.
But I promise you – avoid meat for a time and you’ll find you become more creative in the kitchen, and prouder of what you eat. You’ll be doing something (anything) to stem the tide of runaway global heating and the decline of nature.
