6 September 2011

Meat & veg

A blustery morning and a vigorous run.
The Observer this week carried a small piece on the ethics of food production which managed to point out two anomalies in our collective thinking about what we are prepared to eat.
The first is the familiar but nevertheless extraordinary inconsistency which allows the slaughter and consumption of some animals but which extends a sentimental protective shield over others. Often the differentiation is one of age rather than species. The genetic nurturing instinct towards the very young of any species seems to extend to a prospective meal too.
The second is the notion that meat-based agriculture is an environmental disaster whilst vegetarian agriculture is sustainable. The author, Lucy Siegle, very sensibly observes that any large scale monoculture is environmentally disastrous – and not least the production of soya (ref). Sorry, tofu-eaters.
The issue is another version of the energy question - not only should the "developed" world consume a lot less, but we have to become a lot more discerning about where it comes from, and do what we can to generate our own.

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