Conscious Meat Eating: How You Can Help

Studies have shown that only 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. Businesses need to become part of the solution. Per the Paris Climate Accord, If businesses change their ways they can make a big impact and account for 60% of emissions cuts by 2030. 

Do you ever wonder how you, as an individual, can contribute to cultivating a livable planet, even if it’s in a small way?

It’s no secret that meat is embedded into the way that humanity eats. In general, food is a vital part of people’s sense of community and their social interactions. Food can bring people together. It’s a necessary part of life. Is meat a necessary part? This has become a common ethical question for consumers. 

People know that we should all be eating less meat, for personal health and the health of the earth. The commitment of giving all meat up is daunting. Is it possible to be a conscious meat eater? Does it make a difference?

It’s not realistic to approach this dilemma with an all-or-nothing approach. One study found that 84% of vegetarians and vegans return to meat. Instead, people that are struggling with labels and staying “pure” should focus more on being conscious. Being conscious is a practice that should be implemented in all aspects of our lives, but especially when it comes to consumerism. 

Marta Zaraska, author of Meathooked: The History and Science of Our 2.5-Million-Year Obsession with Meat, says “Think about it: What is better for the planet, if 100 people go vegan, or if 100,000 reduce their intakes by 5 percent?”

Reducing the amount of meat we eat can have a significant impact on the 70 billion land animals raised for consumption, overextended natural resources, and gas emissions. 

Eating less meat is important for most, if not all, aspects of life.

The Food System

In the United States alone, livestock consume over 7 times the amount of grains as the entire human population, which is not an efficient practice. According to National Geographic, “for every 100 calories of grain we feed animals, we get only about 40 new calories of milk, 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or 3 of beef," meaning that we are wasting huge amounts of food. If less people in high-income countries consumed meat it will most likely help decrease the amount of people in low-income countries experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

Seafood consumption is not safe either; high rates of demand have led to the destruction and disruption of global fish populations. This has happened due to climate change, habitat loss, and a specific demand for mass consumption of a select few species. The fish populations need time to recover – in order to do this, humans must reduce consumption of the high-demand species and turn to local species that are more actively and abundantly available.

The Environment

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the meat industry accounts for almost 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle produce releases methane, which is more potent than carbon dioxide.

It takes about 2,000 gallons of water to make one pound of beef, compared to the approximate 200 gallons per pound it takes to make a pound of potatoes.

It’s been known that animal waste has leaked into local water from factory farms, which spreads contaminants to residents of the area.

Meat consumption is a major causing factor for deforestation, more specifically the Amazon rainforest. The higher the demand for meat from the population, the higher the use of land for farming. The Amazon has been affected the most by the search for land.

To keep up with the high demand for seafood, fishermen have turned to new fishing practices to catch more. There is a practice called trawling, which is when nets are dragged along the bottom of the ocean. This practice causes huge damage to the natural habitats of the fish, especially coral reefs.

Health

Studies show that a high consumption of red and processed meats are linked to an increased risk for esophageal, stomach, and colon cancers.

Plant-based diets are usually less energy dense, allowing humans to eat bigger portions which leads to feeling full.

Meat products provide 24% of the saturated fats, whereas plant foods are low in saturated fats and some are high in unsaturated fats. Less saturated fats and high unsaturated fats help humans maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

By reducing meat and dairy intake, it could help reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, in addition to cancer.

Convinced now?

If every person cuts out meat in some way, even by 5 or 10%, it will affect the environment and human and animal populations in a positive way. Some ways humanity can do this is by making one meal a day meatless, participating in Meatless Monday, being a “weekday vegetarian,” or, of course, going headfirst into full-on vegetarianism or veganism.

When you do buy and consume meat, you can help lower the impact by buying locally to reduce the carbon footprint and to only buy meat that has been produced and processed in humane ways.

The current way that humans are consuming meat, excessively and constantly, is not a sustainable way of living for anyone.