Disclaimer:
There are many reasons why someone may choose to become a vegetarian or vegan. These are just my reasons, and shouldn't be considered to be the be-all-end-all. I don't claim to be right about everything, and I am not posting this in an attempt to try to convince others to become vegetarian. I'm just posting this so that I can convince others to think about their food and where it comes from.
I hold no judgements against those who do eat meat - in fact, I consider myself a "flexitarian", because I still eat fish a couple of times per week, and I'm willing to eat meat on occasion (e.g. I'm not going to make my mom cook a Tofurkey for Thanksgiving. That said, I will probably eat a lot less meat than in previous years and help out a lot more in making vegetarian options available). I also still eat eggs and dairy in order to ensure that I consume an adequate amount of complete protein, calcium and other nutrients, as I believe that it is better to obtain these nutrients through foods than through supplements (e.g. a calcium or iron supplement that isn't absorbed as well by the body). Call me a hypocrite if you wish, but that's just how I roll.
So here we go.
The Environment
According to PETA:
- The United Nations reported that the greenhouse gases emitted by the meat industry (includes farming, processing, transportation, cold storage, etc) is greater than that emitted by "all of the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes and ships in the world combined".
- It takes 300 gallons of water per day to produce a typical vegetarian diet, compared to 4000 gallons per day to produce the typical meat-eater diet.
- Of all of the fossil fuels and raw materials used in the USA, more than 1/3 of them are used to raise animals for food.
- The Environmental Protection Agency reported that runoff from factory farms produces more runoff into rivers and lakes than all other industrial pollution sources combined.
The EPA also reported that the world's livestock herds are also the largest source of human-induced methane production. Yikes!
Water is a very precious resource that the world has taken full advantage of. I believe that it is important to preserve out potable water supply, and reduce water usage that is harmful. It takes about 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, whereas to produce the same amount of soy takes only 250 gallons.
In addition, we have all heard about the effects of methane and greenhouse gases on the environment and their contribution to global warming. By reducing my consumption of meat, I hope to reduce the demand on the market to continue producing meat products in a way that harms the global environment. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in 2003 that the production of one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times the fossil fuel input of one calorie of plant-based protein.
Use of Land and Resources (other than fossil fuels)
In order to produce meat, land must be dedicated to this purpose. This often means that forests and natural green spaces are removed to make way for factory farms. The United Nations reported that an astonishing 30% of the Earth's land is now used to raise animals for food, including space for grazing and the land used to grow crops for feed. It also reported that more than 260 million acres of U.S. forests have been cleared to make way for crops used only for feed for farmed animals.
Farmed animals use an astonishing amount of grain, in a very inefficient way. Animals consume a large amount of grain, but produce a comparitively small amount of caloric content in their meat. PETA reported that more than 70% of the grains and cereals grown in the USA are used for farmed animals. SEVENTY PERCENT! If even a small portion of this grain was diverted from feed for animals into feed directly to people (particularly soy and wheat products), we could develop sustainable solutions to eradicate food insecurity and hunger issues, as well as providing more affordable food solutions.
Health Matters
People do not require meat to live. In fact, there is no nutrient that cannot be obtained through a vegetarian diet or through supplementation for a vegan diet. Meat products do not contain all of the vitamins and minerals that we need to live - indeed, meat is actually quite deficient in vitamins other than the B-complex and contains absolutely no fibre. Saturated fats only exist in meat products. These are the fats that are often linked to heart disease and stroke risk. Studies have suggested that people who consume a vegetarian or mostly plant-based diet have lower risk of many types of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases (although, admittedly, many of these studies may be skewed by confounding factors, e.g. the fact that many people who are vegetarian/vegan also have healthy lifestyles complete with physical activity, not smoking and limiting alcohol).
That said, I admit, there are certain nutrients that are only found in meat products and/or are more easily absorbed by the body when consumed from meat sources. For example, B12 and cholesterol are only found in animal products. Cholesterol has a bad rap, however it is still an important part of our cellular structure. However, vegetarians who still consume dairy and/or eggs will still receive an adequate amount of these nutrients. In addition, supplements are available to help vegans obtain the nutrients they need. Iron is more easily absorbed in it's heme form, only available in animal products, but it is not impossible to receive adequate iron when vegetarian. A new vegetarian MUST do their research to determine how best to gain nutrients like this, and how one can enhance absorption (e.g. eating spinach with vitamin C-rich foods but avoiding calcium to enhance absorption).
Yes, it's true, meats contain complete proteins. However, I've posted before about the fact that it is not at all impossible to build complete proteins from plant-based foods if you have done your homework and know how to complement proteins. All plant foods contain proteins, however most (pretty much all except quinoa) are lacking in some essential amino acid that needs to be added through another food. For example, rice and beans complement each other and build a complete protein. Vegetarians are still perfectly capable of consuming an appropriate amount of protein, but it's very important to do your research to know what you're doing!
So there you have it.
Note that my reasons listed don't involve much to do with animal welfare. That's not to say that I don't care about it at all (I love a fuzzy chick or snuffly pig as much as anyone else!), however the welfare of farmed animals is not among my top priorities for reasons to become a vegetarian. I think that once farmers start focusing more on the environmental and social impacts of their farming, the welfare of the animals may improve as well.
This is also not to say that I won't ever eat an animal ever again. If these conditions change in the future, I will happily give my business back to meat producers. However, I'm choosing to avoid meat products in protest of the negative impacts of farming practices and the social impacts of using the majority of the world's grain for meat rather than feeding the hungry, and using up unreasonably large amounts of precious, non-renewable natural resources (water, fossil fuels) that are in danger on our planet already.
As mentioned earlier, I hold no judgements whatsoever on those who do choose to eat meat or those who choose to be vegan, or any variation thereof. I hope that my choices will also not be judged by others. I only want to encourage people to think about their food sources and understand where their food comes from. There are, indeed, many good reasons to eat meat as well, and many others to remove animal products from one's diet entirely!
