The Real Food Fight: Is Eating Meat Ethical?

The media says a lot of stuff. Like, a lot. You may have recently seen the rising trend in veganism. Being vegetarian is one thing, but veganism is on a whole other level. Respect to anyone who is vegan- I go crazy without my dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, dude!

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or simply PETA, is well-known animal rights group that supports vegetarianism and veganism. And, here’s the thing: they are literally stronger than the government. They know every single little animal-related thing. They’ve got eyes everywhere! Heck, they might be watching you through the camera on your phone. So you’re wearing a fur coat this winter, I see, you animal-killer! they must be commenting from their HQ. Or maybe even: Well, well, Ashely, thought you could get away with those mink eyelashes? Not today!

With all the pro-plant-based-lifestyle articles, have you ever given a moment to actually think: “Is eating meat ethical?”

Well, folks, that’s why I’m here! Your favorite, friendly neighborhood debate blogger! It’s Hibba, and I have finally found enough time to write a post. I’m a great procrastinator, and school’s definitely stepped up it’s game in the homework factor, so working for my blog is a little hard. But I’m trying, I swear!

Ethical meat eating has been debated by pro-plant-dieters and meat-loving-maniacs for the past decade now. And with 2010s almost coming to an end, I wanted to be able to at least throw in my opinion on this food fight!

In my opinion: meat-eating can be ethical.

My first reason is that free-range and grass-fed meat products can make meat-eating ethical. Free-range means that the animals that are being raised for their meat are not kept in tightly enclosed spaces, and have places to roam. Go to a REAL farm, not an industrialized one, and you’ll see that the animals are treated very nicely. 

Grass-fed means well… grass-fed! They eat grass, instead of the feed that’s made to make them more “appealing” to consumers. It’s healthier for the animals, too. Just look at this photo I found from http://australianangusbeef.blogspot.com/. Yep, that’s beef, and not going to lie, though the one on the left may be bigger, I’d honestly stick with the one on the right.

You can see, the grain-fed one, seems to have a lot more fat, and seems to be lighter in color, while it’s grass-fed counterpart is smaller, but has less fat, and is darker in color. They’ve also been shown to have less calories, and more protein. Healthier, and way more ethical! If we all made eating grass-fed, free-range meat the norm, how’d great that’d be?

Another reason why eating meat can be eaten ethically, is on the basis of our own health. B12 is naturally found in meat, and taking vitamins, just like any other drug, has its risks. Just look at this list I found from healthline.com, about the risks of B12 vitamins:

mild diarrhea

itching

skin rash

headache

dizziness

nausea

vomiting

pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure early in treatment

vein thrombosis

sensation of swelling

polycythemia vera (rare, slow growing blood cancer)

Yeah, kinda scary. I’ll just stick with my chicken Caesar salad, thanks.

Plus, B12 deficiency is not a joke. My own mother is a victim of this, and it’s no “take-a-vitamin-and-you’ll-be-okay” kind of thing. Vitamin B12 deficiency puts you at more risk for developing immune system disorders, anemia, and other conditions that can affect your small intestine. This is maybe the biggest backdraw in the vegan diet.

I’d just like to add on, being vegan doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing good for the environment and saving those poor little farm animals. Many research also suggests that more animals are killed by vegetarians than meat eaters. It was found that tractors were destroying lots of rabbits, mice, and lots of other adorable critters for more crops to make plant-based foods, says Steven Davis, a researcher in the department of animal science at Oregon State University. Not exactly animal-life saving.

 One of their most common battle-cries is that we shouldn’t choose whether their life is worth giving up for our pleasure. Well, that slogan doesn’t exactly seem to fit the picture here, though, don’t you agree?

The third reason why eating meat is ethical, is because we are made to eat meat. Sure, this will sound so stupid, but look: we are natural born omnivores! 

Humans don't have fermenting vats — large chambers where microbes attack digestive plant material. Fermenting vats, are found in almost ALL herbivores. We also don’t saber-teeth, but hey, our canines get the job done. Mostly, anyway.

Plus, herbivores need big guts to absorb energy, while carnivores have smaller guts. Us, humans, are right in the middle. Coincidence? I think not.

Eating meat does not make you a monster. Many creatures kill for a living, but it doesn’t mean they are evil. If vegans say it isn’t our choice to end an animal’s life, then how can it be another animal’s choice? I mean, it’s in our body to eat meat. It’s ethical if you slaughter the animals correctly, and treat it humanely. 

Don’t tell me this cutie is a monster:

Credit for this photo goes to here.

Meat can be eaten ethically. We are meant to eat meat. We are omnivores. We need to eat meat. We need B12. It all comes down to the treatment of the animals we are going to eat. 

The brutal treatment of our animals is a serious problem that needs to be tackled, but we cannot sacrifice this for our health. I know PETA is going to hate me, but I’ll say it loud and clear: we are superior to animals. We have learned things, we have evolved, and it almost doesn’t matter what the size or power of an animal is, we have the power to take them down.

Like I mentioned before, one way we can cut down on the cruel practice of industrialized farming is by creating a need for free-range and grass-fed meat. It’s healthier for the animals, the environment, and even for us! If we make these a ned in our society, just imagine how much better it would be. This is actually called the concept of ethical omnivorism.

The only reason these inhumane farms exist is because of our demand for meat. In my opinion, if we opt for fruits and veggies instead of meat, the demand for meat would drop drastically, meaning less need for these unethical practices. Which means, more REAL farms!

That’s why, I suggest, you could try “Meatless Mondays”. Or really, whatever day of the week you want. It’s a concept that you go vegetarian, or vegan if you can, every Monday. It would really help the environment and the animals. And it’s not very hard, because, hey, it’s only for 24 hours. Plus, your asleep for at least ¼ of the time.

But that is just my opinion! What do you think about this topic? Is eating meat ethical? Why or why not? How can we end industrialized farming? How can we adress animal cruelty? Should we go vegan, vegetarian, or just stay the way we are? I can’t wait to see your comments below!

Happy debating to all my foodies!