Meat — Be The Aternative

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The Meat Industry

It’s a little known fact that the majority of animals bred for meat are sent to slaughter at a fraction of their natural lifespan. For instance, chickens are typically slaughtered at six weeks old, while pigs are killed at about six months, despite their natural lifespans being around six years for chickens and up to fifteen years for pigs.

Many of us have grown up with the notion that "free range" or "organic" means that animals lead good and happy lives prior to being slaughtered. I know I myself (Kerry) used to believe this when I was much younger. Even when I was a vegetarian, I didn’t try to dissuade others from eating meat because I hadn’t then learned that there was no such thing as contented farmed animals. The reality is that these deeply misleading labels often represent only marginal improvements over factory farming conditions, and the cruel and exploitative practices remain just the same.

In the UK, we’ve been conditioned to believe in the concept of “humane slaughter” too, which in itself is an oxymoron. The term was coined by the meat industry to dupe consumers into feeling reassured that animals do not feel pain or suffer when killed. Legally, yes, farmed animals must be stunned before being slaughtered (with the exception of religious slaughter) but if people knew just how horrific the methods of stunning were, most would be appalled.

Some people argue that they would advocate for “kinder” methods of killing animals, as opposed to moving away from meat entirely, but a fundamental ethical question arises: If we have the choice not to kill sentient beings and can live healthily and happily without consuming animal products, why would we choose to kill them merely out of preference for a certain taste? A taste, I hasten add, that is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from vegan alternatives. As moral creatures, this choice is difficult to justify when considering the unnecessary suffering and death it causes, not to mention the impact it has on our own future, but our fellow humans, too.

“Humane Slaughter”

Each year, the UK witnesses the slaughter of approximately 1.2 billion land animals for human consumption. This staggering figure includes over 1 billion chickens, 15 million turkeys, 14 million sheep, 2.8 million cattle, and over 10 million pigs. These numbers are so vast that they are almost incomprehensible, reflecting a brutally efficient production line that reduces living beings to mere statistics.

Regardless of labels such as “free-range”, “organic”, or “pasture-reared”, or assurances of the “humane” methods, the final moments of these farmed animals are filled with pain and terror. Slaughtering an animal—an animal that instinctively fights to stay alive—inflicts immense suffering.

The Failures of Stunning

Numerous factors can render stunning ineffective—faulty equipment, human error, the poor animals thrashing about in terror, as they would naturally do when faced with the stench of blood, rough handling and their friends being butchered in front of them, untrained or overworked slaughterhouse staff, many of whom are refugees suffering from PTSD due to the violent nature of their work. Simply put: ineffective stunning can leave animals conscious and in agony, paralyzed but fully aware as their throats are slit. A 2017 Food Standards Agency survey estimated that hundreds of millions of animals, including 184 million poultry and 21,000 cattle, were killed without an effective stun.

Pigs

About 88% of pigs are killed using gas, while 12% undergo electrical stunning followed by sticking. Sick or injured piglets may be killed by blunt force. This brutal method often leads to drawn-out, agonizing deaths. Pigs are herded into gondolas and lowered into gas chambers, where they experience extreme distress, screaming and thrashing as the CO2 causes them to feel as if their organs are burning.

Chickens

Electrical stunning, often through electric water baths, is the main stunning method for chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Birds are shackled upside down and dragged through electrified water before their necks are cut. High processing speeds lead to many birds being inadequately stunned, resulting in conscious birds having their throats cut, or being boiled alive in scalding tanks.

Sheep and Goats

Head-to-back stun killing with electric tongs is common for cattle, sheep, goats, and sometimes pigs. This method often fails due to incorrect application, leading to animals regaining consciousness before being bled out. Even when stunning is effective, the animals' final moments are filled with terror as they hear and smell the death surrounding them.

Cows

Used for cattle, sheep, goats, and ostriches, captive-bolt stunning involves a retractable bolt gun that should render animals unconscious instantly. However, issues with head restraints and hard-to-penetrate skulls can result in animals being brain damaged, in agony and regaining consciousness while being slaughtered, aware of being cut open, but unable to move.

Environmental Impact

Animal agriculture significantly impacts the environment through various channels, including greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, land use, waste production, and deforestation. Here's a detailed explanation of how:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Major Contributor: Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing the combined exhaust from all transportation (13%). Livestock and their byproducts account for 32,000 million tons of CO2 annually, which is 51% of all worldwide emissions.
Methane and Nitrous Oxide: Methane, produced by livestock, is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 over 20 years, with a global warming potential 86 times that of CO2. Livestock emits 65% of human-related nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO2 and remains in the atmosphere for 150 years.
Projections and Impact: Emissions from agriculture are projected to increase by 80% by 2050. Even if fossil fuels were eliminated, the greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture alone would exceed the sustainable limit by 2030.
Water Consumption
High Usage: Animal agriculture consumes between 34-76 trillion gallons of water annually. Producing 1 pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water, while 1 pound of eggs needs 477 gallons, and 1 pound of cheese requires 900 gallons. Producing 1 gallon of milk needs 1,000 gallons of water.
Global Impact: This sector is responsible for 20%-33% of all fresh water consumption worldwide.
Land Use
Extensive Occupation: Livestock or livestock feed occupies one-third of the Earth’s ice-free land.
Habitat Destruction: It is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction due to land clearing for feed crops and grazing.
Desertification and Deforestation: Livestock operations contribute significantly to land degradation and desertification, with one-third of the planet desertified primarily due to livestock. They also drive massive deforestation, particularly in the Amazon, where animal agriculture accounts for up to 91% of destruction.
Waste Production
Pollution: A farm with 2,500 dairy cows produces waste equivalent to a city of 411,000 people, contributing significantly to pollution and environmental degradation.
Ocean and Rain-forest Impact
Ocean Dead Zones: Livestock operations have created over 500 nitrogen-flooded dead zones in oceans, severely impacting marine life.
Rainforest Destruction: Animal agriculture is the primary driver of rainforest destruction, responsible for clearing 136 million acres. This deforestation leads to the loss of up to 137 plant, animal, and insect species every day.
Humanity and Resource Allocation
Inefficient Food Production: Although enough food is produced to feed 10 billion people, over 50% of grain is fed to livestock. This misallocation contributes to global hunger, with 82% of starving children living in countries where food is fed to animals that are consumed in wealthier nations.
Land Use Efficiency: Feeding a person on a vegan diet requires significantly less land by comparison. One and a half acres can produce 37,000 pounds of plant-based food or just 375 pounds of beef.
Environmental Benefits of a Vegan Diet
Reduced Footprint: A vegan diet can reduce a person's carbon dioxide emissions by 50%, oil consumption by 1/11th, water use by 1/13th, and land use by 1/18th compared to a meat eater. Daily savings for a vegan include 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life.

Health Concerns

You might not know it, but a significant shift is occurring within the medical community, with an increasing number of doctors advocating for plant-based diets, due to their profound health benefits and potential to prevent and manage chronic diseases. A recent article in The Independent reported on doctors calling for the UK government to stop promoting meat and dairy as essential for health. They argue that such recommendations are misleading and do not align with the latest scientific evidence.

Did you know that the Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of The World Health Organisation (WHO), has emphasized the necessity of transitioning to plant-based diets to improve both human health and environmental sustainability? He pointed out that food production, particularly animal agriculture, is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and the global burden of disease.

And did you also know that two of the largest and most respected nutritional organizations, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the British Dietetic Association, affirm that vegan diets are suitable for all stages of life? These include pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and older adulthood, and they can provide all necessary nutrients if properly planned, just like all diets.

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health: Studies have consistently shown that plant-based diets are linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol levels, and a decreased risk of heart disease. A comprehensive review of 48 studies found that vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with significantly lower risks of heart disease, gastrointestinal, and prostate cancers.

Cancer Prevention: Plant-based diets, rich in antioxidants, fiber, and phytonutrients, have been shown to reduce the risk of various cancers. The review highlighted that these diets are associated with a reduced risk of metabolic diseases and cancers due to their impact on key health markers like blood pressure and cholesterol.

Diabetes Prevention: a vegan diet improves insulin sensitivity due to the high fiber content, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. It also tends to have a lower glycemic load, promoting stable blood sugar. Additionally, plant-based diets are associated with better weight management, reducing the risk of obesity—a major risk factor for diabetes. They are low in saturated fats and rich in anti-inflammatory foods, both of which improve metabolic health and reduce insulin resistance. Studies, including the Adventist Health Study-2 and EPIC-Oxford, support these benefits, showing significantly lower diabetes risk among those following a vegan lifestyle.

Many people might, understandably, be sceptical about switching to a plant-based diet, especially if their general practitioners (GPs) have traditionally recommended meat for iron and dairy for calcium. However, it is worth remembering that many regular GPs receive minimal nutrition training—often only about 24 hours throughout their entire education.

One major example of the ignorance of doctors is, as we’ve just mentioned: dairy. It’s no coincidence that the countries with the highest dairy consumption also have some of the highest rates of osteoporosis. I know, right? How can this be, when doctors are so vocal about dairy being essential for bone health?

Absorption Issues: While dairy products are rich in calcium, the human body does not efficiently absorb it. According to Harvard Health, only about 30% of the calcium in dairy is absorbed by the body. The consumption of all animal protein, be it dairy, meat, or eggs, causes your body to leach calcium from your bones, which is then excreted through urine. This is because animal protein is too acidic for our bodies. Because of this, it has to find a way to neutralize that acidity and fast, and our bone density is the cost, putting people at higher risk of developing conditions like osteoporosis and developing sometimes fatal fractures in later life.

It can feel so scary, having lived your whole life believing in one thing, believing in the knowledge of certain individuals, only to be told something completely contradictory. You feel betrayed, confused. We get it. Every vegan has been there, and it is indeed terrifying. But these are the very real facts, and very real consequences of consuming meat and other animal products.

So What’s The Alternative?

By choosing not to buy meat, or any kind of animal product, you actively withdraw your support from these cruel industries. It's a powerful demonstration of your principles. Not only that, but you significantly lower your carbon footprint and improve your health.

And you might say, "What difference does it make if I stop buying them? I’m just one person, that won’t make a difference." This scepticism isn’t uncommon, but remember, social change is driven by individuals. It always has been. And each time you choose a plant-based alternative over an animal product, you contribute to a growing force that pressures industries to move away from their reliance upon animal suffering. The prevalence of vegan options in supermarkets, fast food chains, cafés and restaurants is proof that this shift is happening. And, eventually, we will see a society where vegan foods are the norm, and animal products are few and far between. And you can play a very real part in making that happen even sooner.

Moreover - you’re not even missing out, because everything you enjoy eating can be made vegan. Yes, really. Everything, from your Full English fry up, to Shepherd’s Pie, to your Sunday roast (complete with Yorkshires) - all can be made without animal products. You might be daunted at the thought of change, at first. It’s natural. We all are, and it can be hard to know where to start, and you might even think this is all well and good, and you get it, but you can’t to devote the time to it. But, the truth is, with so many resources and alternatives available now, transitioning to a vegan lifestyle has never been easier, or quicker.

Challenge 22 is just one of the many free, online challenges that will help you transition to a vegan lifestyle, but what’s special about them is you’ll have over a dozen vegan mentors available to help you at any given time and suggest recipes and alternatives, and there’s even a nutritionist on hand to give expert advice (not that nutrition is a concern, but sadly a lot of people think it is, due to all the misinformation out there about veganism) - it’s completely FREE. So give it a go!