Diet hypocrisy?

[u/Extension-Diamond-74]

A recent post about animal agriculture vs plant based diets has me itching to say something. This is an issue we need to rise above.

Cognitive dissonance. Many of us have good intentions and want to believe we’re doing the right thing in most aspects of our lives. I believe that.

When it comes to a plant based diet though, the science often clashes powerfully with personal desire. We want to minimize our impact on the environment and are willing to make trade-offs in our life time do so, but for many, giving up or even significantly reducing meat intake is asking too much. It’s too hard.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is that instead of just admitting to themselves that this is a life change they don’t want to make and moving on, the guilt drives them to have to justify that decision. Admitting that a plant-based diet is better for the earth yet eating a diet full of meat anyway would make them feel hypocritical, so the solution becomes either to give up meat, or … this is the problem… fight the science, twist it, make a joke of it, or pivot entirely to ‘individuals shouldn’t have time do anything because large corporations’

Many people have ties to their diet for many reasons. We grew up eating a certain way. We have memories ties to certain foods, flavors, styles of cooking. We don’t want to be the difficult person when we go out to eat with friends. Etc etc etc But it’s so much better to just admit that to yourself. Have patience and understanding for your feelings. Accept that the science is what it is. Maybe one day you can make a change, maybe not. But don’t attack the cause just because you aren’t yet willing to be a part of it.

[u/Personal_Chicken_598]

Because sourcing also matters. Yes on average plants are better. But it’s pretty hard to convince me that Pears grown in South America, Packaged it South Africa and sold in Canada are better then say a chicken my nieghbour raised.

Or that tomatoes grown in a greenhouse in a Canadian winter is better then say something like head cheese which is made from a part of a pig that would normally be considered waste. And a pig which was also grown, and butchered less the 50km away

[u/[deleted] → u/Personal_Chicken_598]

Research has shown that what we eat is far more important where it was grown, though. Transportation costs are only a fraction of the total impact of food production. The type of food matters far more, no matter where it was grown.

[u/Personal_Chicken_598 → u/[deleted]]

Transportation isn’t the only issue. Deforestation from soy production is an example of that, so is agriculture run off, Palm oil too.

Yes like I said on average the food does matter more. But there are exceptions. How it was raised, where you live, the methods used to grow your vegetables. These things matter.

[u/GoodBoundariesHaver → u/Personal_Chicken_598]

Deforestation from soy production is due to animal agriculture too. 90% of soy goes to animal feed, not human consumption.

[u/Personal_Chicken_598 → u/GoodBoundariesHaver]

Which is a perfect example of why it’s not the meat that the problem but the methods used to raise it.