Posted on 01/20/2020 12:08:52 AM PST by nickcarraway
Most people in the UK are committed meat eaters – but for how long? My new research into the views of meat eaters found that most respondents viewed veganism as ethical in principle and good for the environment.
It seems that practical matters of taste, price, and convenience are the main barriers preventing more people from adopting veganism – not disagreement with the fundamental idea. This could have major implications for the future of the food industry as meat alternatives become tastier, cheaper and more widely available.
My survey of 1,000 UK adult men and women found that 73% of those surveyed considered veganism to be ethical, while 70% said it was good for the environment. But 61% said adopting a vegan diet was not enjoyable, 77% said it was inconvenient, and 83% said it was not easy.
Other possible barriers such as health concerns and social stigma seemed not to be as important, with 60% considering veganism to be socially acceptable, and over half saying it was healthy.
The idea that most meat eaters agree with the principles of veganism might seem surprising to some. But other research has led to similar conclusions. One study for example, found that almost half of Americans supported a ban on slaughterhouses.
The prevalence of taste, price, and convenience as barriers to change also mirrors previous findings. One British survey found that the most common reason by far people gave for not being vegetarian is simply: “I like the taste of meat too much.” The second and third most common reasons related to the high cost of meat substitutes and struggling for meal ideas.
These findings present climate and animal advocates with an interesting challenge. People are largely aware that there are good reasons to cut down their animal product consumption, but they are mostly not willing to bear the personal cost of doing so.
Food motivation Decades of food behaviour research has shown us that price, taste and convenience are the three major factors driving food choices. For most people, ethics and environmental impact simply do not enter into it.
Experimental research has also shown that the act of eating meat can alter peoples’ views of the morality of eating animals. One study asked participants to rate their moral concern for cows. Before answering, participants were given either nuts or beef jerky to snack on.
The researchers found that eating beef jerky actually caused participants to care less about cows. People seem not to be choosing to eat meat because they think there are good reasons to do so – they are choosing to think there are good reasons because they eat meat.
In this way, the default widespread (and, let’s be honest, enjoyable) behaviour of meat eating can be a barrier to clear reasoning about our food systems. How can we be expected to discuss this honestly when we have such a strong interest in reaching the conclusion that eating meat is okay?
Fortunately, things are changing. The range, quality, and affordability of vegan options has exploded. My survey was conducted in September 2018, a few months before the tremendously successful release of Greggs’ vegan sausage roll.
Since then, we have seen an avalanche of high-quality affordable vegan options released in the British supermarkets, restaurants and even fast food outlets. These allow meat eaters to easily replace animal products one meal at a time. When Subway offers a version of its meatball marinara that is compatible with your views on ethics and the environment, why would you choose the one made from an animal if the alternative tastes the same?
Steak bake without the steak. Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/PA Images The widespread availability of these options means that the growing number of vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians in the UK have more choice than ever. Not only will this entice more people to try vegan options, but it will make it far easier for aspiring vegetarians and vegans to stick to their diets.
With consumer choice comes producer competition, and here we will see the magic of the market. If you think those looking to cut down their meat consumption are spoilt for choice in 2020, just wait to see the effect of these food giants racing to make their vegan offerings better and cheaper as they compete for a rapidly growing customer segment.
We may be about to witness an explosion in research to perfect plant-based meat analogues. Meanwhile, the development of real animal meat grown from stem cells without the animals is gaining pace.
Cheaper and tastier While these replacements get tastier, more nutritious and cheaper over the next ten years, meat from animals will largely stay the same. It is no wonder the animal farming industry is nervous. Demand for meat and dairy is falling drastically while the market for alternatives has skyrocketed.
In the US, two major dairy producers have filed for bankruptcy in recent months, while a recent report estimated that the meat and dairy industries will collapse in the next decade.
This leaves the average meat eater with a dilemma. Most agree with the reasons for being vegan but object to the price, taste, and convenience of the alternatives.
As these alternatives get cheaper, better and more widespread, meat eaters will have to ask themselves just how good the alternatives need to be before they decide to consume in line with their values. Being one of the last people to pay for needless animal slaughter because the alternative was only “pretty good” will not be a good look in the near future.
I just saw a movie called “Into the forest”, about survival after the electrical system goes dead for over a year. It was not all that good, but one thing that was interesting was these two 20 something sisters were trying to survive in a home in the forest eating only vegetables and wild stuff they found, while there was a large wild pig population in the area.
One of the girls was pregnant and was not looking very healthy. They had a few health books that they used to survive and one described the pregnant girl’s condition and said it was a vitamin B12 deficiency. And the solution was meat and dairy products.
They killed a pig, slaughtered it, roasted it up and ate like kings - er, Queens - the best meal they had for many months. And she was healthy.
We are omnivores. You can eat a balanced diet with meat, or you can make micromanaging your diet with veganism a major part of your daily chores and you still may be fine. But I choose the latter. Veganism is for survival mode. Meat and animal fat are actually very good for you.
That includes fish, BTW...
Same here. I eat them as a duty, and eat them first to get them off my plate so I can then go on to enjoy the meat and potatoes or the fish and rice.
Back when I was in high school (grad of 1972) people used to throw out the phrase, “People will never accept that.”
To which I responded, “I think what you mean is that THIS GENERATION will never accept that.”
I don’t get a lot of things right, but I think I nailed that one, if modern history is any proof.
Latter = former
DOH!
If you do any research you will find it is the most unhealthy diet you can eat. Pure brainwashing has made people doom themselves to this unhealthy lifestyle.
It generally will shorten your life by 10 years according to studies on Indian monks.
We do the extended family beach gathering each year... 20+ people. We share cooking/cleaning chores. When it’s my turn to cook...it’s always bbq ribs, baked potatoes, salad & garlic bread. The vegans either go out that night, or make do with spuds and salad...if they can stand the smell of the me boiling the ribs (my method for pre-cooking the ribs...then apply sauce and grill’em outdoors).
I don’t care if someone is vegan. That leaves more meat for me. My problem is that they won’t stop talking about it!
The greatest slam on a vegan I have ever heard came from Gordon Ramsay, “you’re a vegan you have no palate!”
This fatuous statement ignores the opposite side - which is also a truth. With such a strong interest in reaching the conclusion that eating meat is NOT okay, how can the author expect to honestly discuss the issue?
. . . and that is now vegan. I dunno for sure why, but I’m not needing as much blood pressure medicine now. That much difference in the diet surely must be having some effect.Pretending we are herbivores is very much like those freaks in the trans community. - LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
My father-in-law spoke of being sent out to gather blackberries in season - and that was what was dinner. Nothing else, blackberries. What ya eat is what you have to eat.You and I grew up in affluent post-WWII America, when we were able to take meat on the table for granted; Mother used to say that “Meat makes the meal.” But the truth is that for most people, most of the time, meat has not been on the table. Not remotely the way we grew up accustomed to.
And when you get to be an octogenarian, it’s pretty “natural” to be dead. So, what’s “natural” got to do with health at that point?
Proven fast that eating soy based foods makes the body produce more estrogen which will make you gain weight. More estrogen in the body will also override testosterone in males making them more easy to control.
An MO of many cults is to disrumpt the cogative ability of their victims with depleting vegatarian diets.
Don’t get me wrong. I like vegetables and love my salads. Often, that’s all I eat for supper. Meat’s great, and I get my share, but it’s not a requirement to be on the table. As for “You and I grew up in affluent post-WWII America”...
When I was a kid...bologna, beanie/weanies, hamburger helper, beans/cornbread were staples around our house. Not affluent eating, but good and filling. I still like all of the above.
Also...”I’m not needing as much blood pressure medicine now.”
That’s great. Sounds like it’s working for you.
Our primitive fore fathers didn’t cross continents in search of brussel sprouts, they were looking for fat,
On reflection I understood the fatted calf from the Bible. There are times and places putting fat on an animal is almost impossible and very rare.
We live in the land of plenty and complain with our mouths full. (that is in the Bible also and the results of the complaining was not good.)
Let me repeat:
We live in the land of plenty and complain with our mouths full. History repeats it self and there will come a time when food will be scarce again.
We used to have a federal food security policy of a 3 year reserve of corn and other food. Now if we don’t use the last of the old crop the day before the new crop comes in, we screwed up. Anyone see a recipe for disaster?
Veganism = Grazing
Another good slogan is “Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder...”
Actually if you want to get into the nitty gritty, without meat we would be another animal on the savanna.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105539.htm
https://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5417583/
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/eating-meat-led-to-smaller-stomachs-bigger-brains/
Read up.
Vegans are cultists who almost always look like survivors of Dachau.
No substitutions or modifications allowed!
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