To ask why people are so against giving up meat?

[NewCracker]

Just that really, why are people so against giving up meat?
Without a doubt we know it's better for the environment, we know it's better for our health, we know it's better for animal welfare and it's actually quite expensive. But still as soon as you mention to the greater public about cutting their meat consumption, they get defensive and almost offended.
Would you ever consider giving it up, if you do consume it now? If not, why not?
I'm expecting some hate, this is MN after all, but I am genuinely just curious. Not trying to rattle feathers.

So if we bred humans like we do animals, we can use them for anything we want without any regard for their pain or feelings?

Breeding animals don't stop making then sentient beings.

Be honest you enjoy eating meat, don't try to make it sound like it's for a noble purpose.

You haven’t. I’ve eaten what I’ve killed before. It’s all part of the circle of life.

I don’t enjoy eating meat? It’s necessary that some of us eat meat. Necessary for our species and those that depend on us for survival and necessary to the ecosystem. Necessary for everyone that doesn’t eat meat too, you’d be up shit creek with all your crops dying in sterile dead soil if it weren’t for herds of livestock grazing those fields in a crop rotation system as part of sustainable, organic farming practices.

I was brought up on a farm.

Why would I lie?

I didn’t say you were lying. I said I don’t know if you’re being truthful. I don’t know you. People lie about all sorts of things, there have been people on here who have lied about having cancer.

Most people are quite squeamish. I do animal campaign work, part of that has been surveys of if people think they could go and see animals being slaughtered and still eat meat and similar questions. The vast majority of people answer no to those sorts of questions. So, you would be in the minority from what I’ve seen.

There is motive here for people to say they would be fine with seeing animals slaughtered so they may lie. Same as vegans may lie to support their views online where there’s no accountability.

Actually breeding humans would not make a good farming animal for anything, even if you somehow manage to keep them from trying to escape or fight back every now and then. Humans are slow to mature and reproduce, while economically an animal that requires over 3 years of growing is largely inefficient. We cannot convert inedible biomass such as grass, as human body needs a complex diet to develop properly. A huge part of our energy is wasted on the brain, and it cannot be just shut down and prevented from growing. Unless humans are literally the only available source of a given product, it makes no sense whatsoever; and the price of any human cultivated product would be obscene for any mass production.

So now that's out of the way, Nobody here is saying its a noble purpose but you, its sustenance and food for our bodies as nature intended hence our biological make up and structure as omnivores.

So if you dislike our evolutionary traits write a letter to whom ever you think designed us.

Scientifically, those of us that eat meat enable those who choose not to eat meat. You couldn’t live your lifestyle without us. Our farms animals are essential to the growing of your crops. Unless you want to bank on there being enough fossil animals in the form of petroleum being processed in a highly polluting factory into artificial fertiliser to last for the next 3 million years?

So perhaps it’s best you don’t act all superior and like you can get along without livestock or meat eaters. You can’t. The ecosystem, including the food grown for you depends on us and the farm animals we raise.

Nope. If I do myself a steak, I'll chuck it in a hot pan, turn it once, and put it on a plate. Seared on both sides, nice and rare in the middle. Tastes delicious just as it is.

I'm not sure about that. I worked in quite a few abattoirs and I didn't find any of them cruel. There was the very odd occasion (usually larger older animals such as bulls being killed by captive bolts) when things didn't go smoothly and an animal might have suffered more than it should but generally the animals are killed very effectively.

The slaughter-men worked extremely fast and efficiently as they got to go home as soon as they had completed the days work. Apart stopping for a quick breakfast they didn't stop for a second.

The animals are not aware they are going to be killed and are killed instantaneously.
Distressed animals can be dangerous and cause more work for the slaughter-men and if animals are highly stressed then it's bad for the quality of the meat. There is no incentive to waste time being cruel.
Abattoirs are more centralised than they were when I worked in them so tend to be like huge factories. I think there was more scope for cruelty when there were lots of dry small abattoirs.

Transporting live animals long distances seems cruel to me.

I must have seen 20 different abattoirs and none of them reflected anything like the abattoirs shown by animal rights groups. I know there are places where animals have been inhumanly treated but it's rare.

Animals may be essential but slaughtering them and farming them as intensively as we do, is not. And let’s not make out the only ones eating crops are vegans. There are some interesting farming methods that retain soil quality and would allow for a mostly vegan world. There’s lots of info out there from crop/soil scientists that believe it’s possible, actual experts, not mumsnetters with a little bit of knowledge.

Sorry for the typos

Because we meat eaters like eating meat. You can't beat a nice juicey steak or bacon buttie. What I do find annoying is when sanctimonious do gooders keep ramming it down our throats that they are vegsn telling us that we should give up meat 🙄

That's reassuring to read, thank you for sharing your experiences

I'm not at all convinced it's 'better for your health not to eat meat'. It's easy to become iron, protein and B12 deficient by being vegetarian.

I became pescatarian at 17 yrs old and didn't eat any meat until I married at 33, at which point I decided to eat chicken again as it made meal times easier. However I have never eaten red meat again after 17. Basically I just don't like it that much.

I do loathe battery farms though, if you are going to eat animals at least give them a good life beforehand and treat them humanely.

Because I w joy it, and do t want to. Happy to have it only a few times a week, but it's as pointless as asking a vegetarian why they want eat meat, it's a personal choice that doesn't have to be agreed by everyone. Could also say that many farming techniques are bad for the environment, but I'm happy for people to do what they are comfortable with.

I think some people find it easier to give it up because they were never a huge fan of it in the first place. Take my MIL for example her staple diet is bread, cheese and chocolate. She’s never liked meat, was fed processed meat like chicken nuggets growing up so meats never been her thing.
I grew up eating meat and 2 veg. My dad would bring home meat he’d hunted and I would regularly see him skin and gut animals in the kitchen. My children always have a dinner that consists of a portion of meat or fish, vegetables and some carb like potatoes, rice etc. we rarely ever have bready or pasta meals as that’s empty carbs and wheat is hideously bad for you as is excessive amounts of dairy.
I don’t think the average vegetarian is feeding their families a balanced healthy diet anyway and I don’t think you can say that chicken breast with rice and vegetables is unhealthy.

No they don’t think it is possible. Not long term at any rate. By long term I mean for sustainable farming as in for generations lasting millennia. Not oh we can use seaweed/human poo to fertilise and that will mean the soil is fine for a century but good bye several thousand species of wildlife you find in pastures and high risk of food chain & ecosystem collapse due to 3rd and 4th order impacts.

They’ve not found any feasible way to re-engineer our ecosystem that would be sustainable for humans, not cause the extinction of too many wildlife species, and with no extra risk of ecosystem collapse.

You should re read. I said animals may be essential but slaughtering them and farming them as intensively as we do, is not. So yes, sustainable. These are farmers and soil scientists with years of experience.

Anyway 😴. Goodnight.

For me it’s because my diet is massively restricted by Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease and various food allergies. Meat is one of the few foods I can eat, and I am loathe to restrict myself further. I also like the taste, and I think I would struggle to eat enough protein without it.

I don’t think people are So Against giving up meat.
I just think people don’t consider it that much in terms of a forever life long commitment
Would people give up alcohol forever if they enjoyed it, I doubt it but they might cut back just like some are now cutting back on meat consumption.

It tastes good and is a good source of protein.

If we all gave up eating meat we would still need to cull some animals. You can't have rabbits eating all the veg and deer also need managing.

Because I like it. Can’t see myself eating bugs 🐛 for protein. You will see this may change with new generations. Do not expect older people to give up meat.

There's zero chance I could fill my DH's stomach without meat. He's a massive eater & the high protein content of meat fills him up. We do eat egg based meals as well, but absolutely MUST have high protein. Veggies just don't cut it

I won't eat the meat substitutes. They're often ultra processed & full of sodium & fillers. Imo of you eat fake meat just eat the real thing.

They're really coming along with lab grown meat now. I'd be open to that except currently it's also full of fillers & I worry about how far that will be taken with preservatives, etc.

I disagree about the health thing. Everything in moderation and organic, free range, grass-fed meat can be an excellent source of protein.

Because it is delicious, versatile, an excellent source of protein and fat, and the human digestive system is well adapted to dealing with it.

I like it. I don't mind cutting down, we can eat vegetarian and vegan, but I choose not to give it up entirely.