Thanks for linking my article 😉. Your conclusions seemed a bit depressing at first: Germans/Swedes consume less meat simply because they have a larger percentage of old folks who eat less in general. I know a number of people in Germany who are animal activists/rescuers, and because of them I know that even small towns have vegan restaurants, and plant-based foods in supermarkets seem abundant, compared to the US. But even here being vegan is much more acceptable it seems; 20 years ago one solicited ridicule and heavy criticism when promoting a plant-based diet. "Carrots have feelings too" -- you probably know this idiotic crap... Maybe I'm prone to wishful thinking. You DO promise some hopeful facts in Part II, can't wait...
Haha your post set off a train of thought I could not switch off, so thank you :) I agree that awareness has increased considerably, and I think it will make *some* difference down the road, but as you will see in my next post... its not a given, although a definite improvement from today.
As for vegetarian insults, my "favorite" one is from Australia: "My food eats your food". I couldn't help but chuckle.
This was very interesting! I hadn’t thought about meat consumption declining with age and how that relates then to the age of a country’s population. But it sounds like the biggest driver of consumer behavior comes down to the age old dollars and cents. If meat (like oil) becomes more expensive than fewer people will choose to eat it as frequently.
A friend just moved to New Zealand and she was a bit shocked that the price of lamb there is higher than the NZ lamb exported to the US because they run on export pricing in country. Same with kiwi fruits. Would that make a difference in meat consumption?
You're spot on, Janelle. At the end of the day, people vote with their wallets, like most consequential issues on the topic of environment and climate. The NZ lamb statistic is super interesting! I'm surprised how shipping it 8000 miles in refrigerated containers is cheaper for them. Need to dig deeper.
Ironically, I'll say that meat is so cheap because of massive scientific advances in corn and soy cultivation. Considering we need several pounds of these to raise 1 pound of meat, high agricultural yields and cheap US supply chains have made meat affordable at a scale never seen in human history. So you can say we have become victims of our own success.
I need to think more if export pricing can make a tangible difference globally. The strength of the US dollar (more so in these times) means nearly every product is affordable on some level. I still think educating people is the best strategy, and its already working to some extent (you'll see more in my next post). A tax on meat, much like fancy wine and cigars, would definitely work too, but that will be political suicide and I don't see any major nation doing it. Thanks for your insightful comment!
Thanks for linking my article 😉. Your conclusions seemed a bit depressing at first: Germans/Swedes consume less meat simply because they have a larger percentage of old folks who eat less in general. I know a number of people in Germany who are animal activists/rescuers, and because of them I know that even small towns have vegan restaurants, and plant-based foods in supermarkets seem abundant, compared to the US. But even here being vegan is much more acceptable it seems; 20 years ago one solicited ridicule and heavy criticism when promoting a plant-based diet. "Carrots have feelings too" -- you probably know this idiotic crap... Maybe I'm prone to wishful thinking. You DO promise some hopeful facts in Part II, can't wait...
Haha your post set off a train of thought I could not switch off, so thank you :) I agree that awareness has increased considerably, and I think it will make *some* difference down the road, but as you will see in my next post... its not a given, although a definite improvement from today.
As for vegetarian insults, my "favorite" one is from Australia: "My food eats your food". I couldn't help but chuckle.
This was very interesting! I hadn’t thought about meat consumption declining with age and how that relates then to the age of a country’s population. But it sounds like the biggest driver of consumer behavior comes down to the age old dollars and cents. If meat (like oil) becomes more expensive than fewer people will choose to eat it as frequently.
A friend just moved to New Zealand and she was a bit shocked that the price of lamb there is higher than the NZ lamb exported to the US because they run on export pricing in country. Same with kiwi fruits. Would that make a difference in meat consumption?
You're spot on, Janelle. At the end of the day, people vote with their wallets, like most consequential issues on the topic of environment and climate. The NZ lamb statistic is super interesting! I'm surprised how shipping it 8000 miles in refrigerated containers is cheaper for them. Need to dig deeper.
Ironically, I'll say that meat is so cheap because of massive scientific advances in corn and soy cultivation. Considering we need several pounds of these to raise 1 pound of meat, high agricultural yields and cheap US supply chains have made meat affordable at a scale never seen in human history. So you can say we have become victims of our own success.
I need to think more if export pricing can make a tangible difference globally. The strength of the US dollar (more so in these times) means nearly every product is affordable on some level. I still think educating people is the best strategy, and its already working to some extent (you'll see more in my next post). A tax on meat, much like fancy wine and cigars, would definitely work too, but that will be political suicide and I don't see any major nation doing it. Thanks for your insightful comment!