CI #3 The Meat Industry

I am not vegan nor am I a vegetarian. If the dining hall allowed for it, I would be pescetarian at best. Recently, I encountered the term “Reducetarian”, online. According to the Reducetarian website, the premise of becoming a Reducetarian is to “eat less meat, as well as less dairy and eggs, regardless of the degree or their motivation”. This is a practice that I have, unknowingly, incorporated into my diet and lifestyle. Before I make this about myself, let’s look at the facts.

 

First and foremost, let’s acknowledge that the sustainability sphere of this blog is primarily focused on making environmentally favorable, and responsible choices. However, for this edition, I will be including the harmful effects of the meat industry on humans, as well as the animals involved.

 

Sustainability Concerns

1. Emissions from Raising Livestock

Each year, billions of livestock animals are slaughtered each year; each year, this wreaks more and more havoc on the earth. Raising livestock leaves a vast environmental footprint which leads to contributions that make up 18% of greenhouse produced emissions, created by humans. To put this into perspective, this is more than all emissions produced by all forms of transport. Therefore, if all humans work to reduce the amount of meat/ animal products (this blog is focused specifically on the meat industry and its products, but in this statistic other animal products – milk, eggs, etc. – are included), then meeting the target emissions reduction will be feasible.

2. Further pollution

Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reports that there are about five-hundred million tons of manure produced by factory farms within the United States per year. Not only is this statistic horridly repugnant, but also alarming – as there are no designated sewage treatment systems for animal waste and they are stored on such factory farms. According to PETA, “Runoff from factory farms and livestock grazing are one of the leading causes of pollution in our rivers and lakes”; this pollution allows for the spread of various forms of bacteria and viruses to new environments.

3. Environmental strains from Raising Livestock

This infographic directly demonstrates the environmental strain and the emissions produced, from point one, regarding meat production. According to Science Direct, “agriculture accounts for 92% of the freshwater footprint of humanity; almost one third relates to animal products”. Unbeknownst to many, the people of Earth are currently facing a Water Crisis. This disproportionately affects women and children between ages 8 to 13, creating even more problematic social and health concerns, leading to a whole other spew of issues in which an already, traditionally, disenfranchised demographic is being affected by the meat industry.

 

Additionally, the livestock industry is known to cause, both directly and indirectly, to deforestation, water pollution, air pollution, greenhouse gases, global warming, desertification, and erosion. A prime example is in the United States; in the western United States, where farmland is seemingly abundant, the grazing of livestock has negatively affected water sources by containing them with increased phosphates, nitrates. These conditions lead to the hardening of water systems and a loss of biodiversity.

 

PETA reports that “takes almost 20 times less land to feed someone on a plant-based (vegan) diet than it does to feed a meat-eater since the crops are consumed directly instead of being used to feed animals.”

 

Ethical Concerns

The meat industry is infamous for its mistreatment and cruelty towards animals. It is no secret, as documentaries, reports, and social media detectives have reported upon the issue.

There have been frequent reports for far too long that animals are being pumped with steroids, kept in unclean conditions, corralled in close quarters with numerous animals, or even in crates and cages.

Regardless of what is promoted to make meat consumers feel better about their choices, there are no strict regulations nor standards that state what constitutes as “Free Range” and there are various loopholes that do not require factory farms to uphold such standards.

Health Concerns

• There is evidence that humans do not need to eat meat, based on biological research.
• Many factory farms use an excessive amount of antibiotics that find their way into meat and animal products, that humans then later consume.
• Meat consumption has been linked to heart disease, some cancers, kidney problems, digestive issues, and mortality.
  • Most alarmingly, research also has demonstrated a greater risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer in individuals who consume red meat and those who consumed processed meat had higher chances of stomach cancer.

 

 

Now what?

So back to that reducetarian jazz.

 

Over Christmas break, I spent a great deal of time with my long-time best friend, who is a devoted vegetarian, who is vegan bound. She’s one of the most environmentally conscientious people I know. She seemingly knows everything about emissions, the impact of the meat industry/ fashion industry/ everything in the entire world. One night we decided to watch a documentary about the meat industry. Since then, we have regular conversations regarding our actions and how they influence the environment,

 

I am a person with plenty of dietary restraints, due to health problems; for context, I have tree nut allergies and an irritatingly undiagnosable stomach disease that copious specialists have recommended that I limit my intake of fibrous foods ( cutting out most protein sufficient legumes). It is not feasible to switch to an entirely plant-based diet and live off of a dining hall meal plan, due to my own needs and health concerns.

 

However, these are some adjustments I have made to reduce my environmental impact, regarding the foods that I consume.

 

1. Limit meat consumption. This is most obvious but originally, I was having meat usually twice a day – sometimes three times a day, if I were to have turkey sausage with breakfast or bacon. Nowadays, I will have meat 4-5 times a week. These meats are usually a significant amount of protein and are sufficiently filling, to limit the number of servings that I have.
2. Implement a regular protein supplement into my diet. While I have yet to find a plant-based protein powder that I enjoy, I am testing out numerous brands. The current protein powder is Muscle Milk ProSeries, a fifty-gram serving of whey-based protein. This takes care of the “HoW wIlL yOu GeT eNoUgH pRoTeIn?” question uninformed meat-eaters use to interrogate reducetarians, vegetarians, and vegans. However, this supplement choice is not necessary, as obtaining protein in the form of plant-based foods is entirely doable.
3. Seafood! Not all seafood is farmed sustainably nor ethically and should be researched before consuming. If your go-to variety of fish is on the “avoid” list, consider trying some new seafood.
4. Mindful eating is the practice of reflecting where your food came from and what you’re eating. Many types of meat are re-named and reorganized so that they are either not associated with their animal origin and not recognizable. By eating without distraction and full attention, I have been able to recognize what I am consuming and as a result, I have grown to enjoy plant-based, cruelty-free food.

 

Bon appetit!