The Top 3 Arguments in Favor of Eating Meat

In the past 3 years, the number of Vegans in America has increased from 3 million people to over 20 million! And this phenomenon is not just a trend. Across the world, the number of people identifying as vegan has increased by 300%. The demand for plant based products is skyrocketing. But despite the global movement, there is still much controversy and debate surrounding the topic of veganism. There are many arguments in favor of eating meat, from cultural tradition to natural nutrition, so we’ve decided to take a deeper look at the top 3 most common arguments in favor of eating meat.

Argument 1: Meat is a crucial part of the human diet. Without meat, we miss out on many essential elements of our nutrition.
Argument 2: Eating meat is a natural part of the human diet. We have been doing it for thousands of years.
Argument 3: Eating meat is part of my culture
Despite the rise in plant based diets, about 96% of the world still eats meat. For most, the biggest attachment to meat is that it’s part of their cultural identity. What would thanksgiving be without a Turkey? What would a burger be without beef? Every single country has a menu centered around traditional meat dishes. Recipes that have been passed down through generations might be lost if meat was excluded. For many, giving up meat means sacrificing a piece of their culture. But it’s important to make the distinction between culture and Ethics. Many cultures have had traditions that were not ethical. Slavery was once a cultural norm, but it wasn’t ethical. Human sacrifice, cannibalism, incest and torture were all rituals of the past. Most barbaric traditions have faded away and we are now at a point where people are asking, Is eating meat ethical? Is the taste worth the suffering of an animal? Is it worth the environmental impact?

In order to sustain a meat eater for one year, 3 acres of land are required, about half a million gallons of water are needed and 2.8 tons of carbon are emitted into the atmosphere. On the other hand, a plant based diet only requires ⅙ of an acre per year, ¼ as many gallons of water and the plants actually extract carbon and other pollution from the air! It takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. That’s the equivalent of 6 months of showers! In the United States, 56 million acres of land are used to grow and feed livestock. Only 4 million acres are used for growing plants for us to eat. We are running out of space and resources to supply the demand for meat. if we care about the environment and want to contribute to the wellbeing and sustainability of our precious planet then reducing the amount of meat we consume is critical.

Clarification: Humans were fully evolved before they started eating meat. The oldest modern human fossils date back about 300,000 years. Back then, we ate a diet that consisted of nuts, fruit, roots and other plants. Hunting meat was dangerous, difficult and took a lot of energy. An examination of our anatomy reveals that we are quite different from other animals that eat meat. Our teeth are designed for chewing (not ripping and tearing like a crocodile or shark). So even though we have been eating meat for thousands of years, it did not play a part in human evolution.

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Special thanks to Mercy For Animals for the factory farm footage
Thank you to Torre Washington, pro vegan body builder, for the support. Follow him on IG @Torre.Washington or visit his site: https://www.torrewashington.com

Sources:
https://diabetesed.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PlantBasedDiets-Guide.pdf
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321474.php
https://www.fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/Environmental_impact_assessment_of_milk_production.pdf
https://vegetarian.procon.org/sourcefiles/health_effects_of_vegetarian_and_vegan_diets.pdf
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/meat-and-environment/
https://myvega.com/blogs/content/get-started-plant-based-diet
“What the Health” and “Cowspiracy” Documentaries by AUM Films & Media