Non-vegetarian food is a staple diet of a large population, not just in India but in the whole world. Since non-vegetarian food is invariably associated with violence, cruelty, and inhumanity, ancient Indian culture has deplored and rejected it. On the other hand, meat lovers argue in its favor by claiming meat’s nutritional value and their heritage. In the early stages, science also used to say in favor of non-vegetarian food, but with the progress of time, it has begun to change its tunes. Scientists are now raising a voice against the current popularity of meat and are advocating vegetarianism primarily for maintaining good health and for environmental protection.
It has been established beyond doubt from both health and environmental points of view, that vegetarian food is a much better option. “There seems to be a broad pattern where diets that are healthier for people also cause fewer environmental problems,” said David Tilman, chair of ecology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tilman and his colleagues studied 15 types of foods for humans. They looked at how each food group affected overall death risk, as well as the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke. The investigators then calculated the environmental impact of each of those foods, taking into account: (i) The amount of land and water required, (ii) The greenhouse gas emissions involved in the production, (iii) The amount of acidic pollution produced, and (iv) The nutrient runoff from each food. Red meat was found to be worst in environmental impact, followed by chicken, eggs, fish and dairy products. This is so because, for the production of meat, the environment has been extensively encroached upon in developed countries. In the USA itself, where the output of one kg of wheat requires 50 gallons of water, one kg of meat consumes up to 10,000 gallons of water. Clearly, more we adopt vegetarian food, the less will be the pressure on the environment, and the same resources will be available for fulfilling needs of many humans. According to recent statistics, if even 10 percent of Americans stop eating meat, the hunger of the entire world can be satiated.
According to an estimate, in an acre of land, 8000 kg peas, 24000 kg of carrots, and 32000 tomatoes can be grown. While in comparison, only 200 kg of meat can be produced from the same land. Where 1 kg yield of potatoes requires 500 lit of water, more than 10,000 lit of water are needed to provide the same weight of the meat. It should be pointed out that in the modern methods of animal farming, animals are overfed grains, oilseeds and meats of other animals so that they grow fleshy quickly. Two-thirds of all the grains and soybean grown are fed to animals.
“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. – Charles Kettering”
So, it is clear that to grow meat by modern methods, the consumption of land and physical resources is many times more. The same could be better used to grow food for a large number of people. Specialists believe that a mere 10 percent reduction in meat consumption can save lives of 18000 children and 6000 adults who die every day due to starvation. One kg of meat production requires 7 kg of grains or soybean. In the process of conversion of grains to flesh, 90 percent of their protein, 99 percent of their carbohydrates, and 100 percent of their fiber gets destroyed.
To create grazing pastures, the rate at which the forests are being destroyed is creating severe ecological imbalance. Unnecessary disturbance of nature is showing ill-effects like unpredictable climate and global warming. Non-vegetarian food has a direct connection with these. Climate Change report of 2019 released by the UN clearly states that it is necessary to promote a plant-based diet and reduce the meat based diet to deal with the problem of climate change. About 100 specialists have prepared this report, nearly half of whom were from developing countries. Hans Otto Pörtner, the cochair of the Working Group II of IPCC which generated this report, says – “We do not argue about what people should eat and what they shouldn’t, but from the point of view of both climate and human health, it would be better if people reduce consumption of meat. Policymakers should make policies which promote this notion.” The report also states that it is necessary to save forests as they play a vital role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. There is a need to control the rate at which forests are being destroyed for creating pastures for animals. It says that the massive destruction of forests in the Amazon can convert the entire region into a desert. According to climate scientist Carlos Norbe of the Sao Paolo University of Brazil, this destruction would lead to the release of 50 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere in the next 30-50 years, which is a great cause for worry. Pörtner says – “It is unfortunate that several countries do not understand that they need to stop the destruction of forests. We cannot order their governments to stop this deforestation, but we are trying to create public opinion in its favor.”
According to the Year 2018 report, global greenhouse gas emissions have crossed the mark of 37 billion tons. This has to be brought down urgently so that global temperatures can be brought down by 1.5 deg C. For this, immediate steps need to be taken. The report also states that just the change of human eating patterns can release the burden off lakhs of square kilometers of land by 2050, thereby reducing the global emission of CO2 significantly. In summary, there is a need to take significant steps in the direction of changes in food patterns to prevent climate change.
The greatest scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, realized this interdependence deeply, and he had said that to sustain life on the earth, no concept other than promoting vegetarianism would provide as much benefit. In fact, vegetarian eating habit is a very natural lifestyle suited to human nature. This habit has been associated with the fundamental existence of the human race. Human existence on the earth is stated to be billions of years old. Primarily humans have survived by eating tubers, leaves, flowers and plants. Dr. Alan Walker, a famous anthropologist, has done a lot of research on fossils and has established the prevalence of vegetarianism among human beings from ancient times in his study. He has concluded that right from the beginning, the basic food of humans has been plant-based.
Also, vegetarianism is a lifestyle that is closely associated with fundamental human values like coexistence with nature, nonviolence, empathy, and humanity. Indian culture has always advocated this through the precept of ‘Âtmavat-sarvabhuteshu’ (meaning – treat everyone like your kin). Living in the lap of nature, protecting nature, and adopting a lifestyle compatible with nature have been hallmarks of Indian culture, and vegetarianism has been an integral part of it. Modern research studies are also clearly indicating that vegetarian food is the most suitable option from the point of view attaining good health and protecting the environment. The earlier we understand the outcome of these studies and adopt vegetarianism in daily lives, the better it would be for us.
“Scientific studies and government records suggest that virtually all (more than 95 percent of) chickens become infected with E. coli (an indicator of fecal contamination) and between 39 and 75 percent of chickens in retail stores are still infected. Around 8 percent of birds become infected with salmonella (down from several years ago, when at least one in four birds was infected, which still occurs on some farms). Seventy to 90 percent are infected with another potentially deadly pathogen, campylobacter. Chlorine baths are commonly used to remove slime, odor, and bacteria.
Of course, consumers might notice that their chickens don’t taste quite right – how good could a drug-stuffed, disease ridden, shit-contaminated animal possibly taste? – but the birds will be injected (or otherwise pumped up) with “broths” and salty solutions to give them what we have come to think of as the chicken look, smell, and taste. A recent study by Consumer Reports found that chicken and turkey products, many labeled as natural are, “ballooned with 10 to 30 percent of their weight as broth, flavoring, or water.”- Jonathan Safran Foer (in his book ‘Eating Animals’)
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day – Edith Lovejoy Pierce”
Source: Akhand Jyoti Magazine Jan-Feb 2020