Meat Is Inherently Inefficient
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It continues to amaze me how easily marketers pervert basic science. For example, CattleNetwork claims:
“Bottom line: Instead of banning factory farms and the efficiencies those large-scale operations bring to the world’s dinner table, we need to find ways to become even more efficient in order to adequately feed our planet’s growing population.”
Trouble is, meat is inherently inefficient.
Growing corn and soy and feeding that to animals and then eating those animals is wasteful.
A less wasteful alternative is to eat the corn and soy directly, rather than filter the protein and other nutrients through the flesh of sentient beings.
Related resources to learn more:
So if meat production were more efficient, what would that mean? Would that mean it was ok to eat meat?
There plenty of areas where ruminant animals can forage and eating them would be the most efficient way to obtain calories. Assuming you’d be opposed to that, what difference does efficiency make as a moral matter?
The cattle men explained it, Jason:
“we need to find ways to become even more efficient in order to adequately feed our planet’s growing population.”
That is, in order to feed our rising number of human beings, we must feed most humans mostly plants.
Morality applies to feeding humans. So unless you think it’s OK for everyone to starve, you’re missing the point.
Jason, I think you want this section of the Soapbox: http://www.vegansoapbox.com/topics/why-vegan/
Eccentric Vegan,
You’ve missed the point.
Your concern with efficiency actually provides reason TO eat animals in certain situations as I noted above. Concern with efficiency provides us no reason to be vegan. Even if what you say is true, that “in order to feed our rising number of human beings, we must feed most humans mostly plants,” that doesn’t give anybody any reason to be vegan, to not eat/use animals at all.
Jason,
Efficiency is one, of many, worthy considerations when making ethical choices. Mounted with other considerations, there are ample reasons to go vegan. None are necessary, any are sufficient.
Regards,
Elaine
“The philosophy of animal rights demands only the logic be respected for any argument that plausibly explains the independent value of human beings implies that other animals have this same value and have it equally. And any argument that plausibly explains the right of humans to be treated with respect also implies that these other animals have this same right and have it equally also.” ~Tom Regan
Any reason for veganism is a good one. JUST GO VEGAN.
“Efficiency is one, of many, worthy considerations when making ethical choices. Mounted with other considerations, there are ample reasons to go vegan. None are necessary, any are sufficient.”
I respectfully disagree for the reasons I posted above. Efficiency offers us no reason to go vegan.
If it, in combination with other reasons, gives us reason to go vegan, I would submit that it’s the other reasons that are the important ones with respect to veganism.
If you read Tom Regan’s “The Case for Animal Rights” you’ll find that he thinks the only reason for veganism is a moral one.
I agree with Jason. Efficiencies of the current model of animal agriculture is not the argument vegans should be concerned with if our goal is to eliminate the exploitation of nonhumans. This came up in our group recently so we made public our stance which can be read here: http://www.veganchicago.com/boards/thread/8063773/
I don’t think either of you understand what I meant when I said “Efficiency is one, of many, worthy considerations when making ethical choices. Mounted with other considerations, there are ample reasons to go vegan.”
I don’t deny that there are counter-examples and that efficiency, if it’s the only consideration and it happens to be placed in an unusual and unlikely context, could lead someone to an anti-vegan conclusion. But only cockeyed logic that denies the practical realities of today’s food production would convince someone in a developed nation that animal-eating is acceptable. The evidence against animal-eating is overwhelming. It really, truly is, with or without animal rights philosophy.
Elaine,
With all due respect, you’ve missed the point.
If efficiency provides no reason for a person to go vegan, it’s unclear why it should be lumped in with actual reasons for people to go vegan.
At best, it’s a side benefit that occurs /some/ of the time.
Not just some of the time, MOST of the time.
Virtually ALL of the animal products for sale at grocery stores and restaurants come from inefficient/wasteful factory farms.
I don’t mean 51% of meat, dairy, and eggs.
I don’t mean 75% of animal products available for purchase.
I mean 99%.
To speak of nonveganism IS to speak of factory farming.