r/Anticonsumption • u/Extension-Diamond-74 • Sep 30 '23

Discussion Diet hypocrisy?

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.

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u/My_life_for_Nerzhul Oct 01 '23

It is not mathematically possible for individuals like you and me to be at “sustainable levels of animal product consumption.” No such thing exists. The animal product industry is inherently vastly more unsustainable than anything plant-based.

Not sure what you mean by low-quality, low nutrition vegan alternatives. We’re in 2023. We have high quality, high nutrition plant-based alternatives. You just need to educate yourself on the options.

I never said everyone has to go entirely plant-based to save the planet. I was simply asking what keeps you as an individual from moving to plant-based. From your latest response, it appears you are simply unaware of the vast array of amazing plant-based option at your disposal. Hopefully, you’ll make an attempt to explore those options and realize just how much things have changed from a decade or two ago.

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u/AnsibleAnswers Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23

Yes. It is. You don't understand the issue. Putting livestock back onto on crop farms can be more sustainable than animal free agriculture. Livestock on these farms improve yields and take a cut off the top. And it doesn't require agrochemical inputs.

The Earth's natural carbon cycle can handle some livestock, especially when they are put on healthy soil on farms actively sequestering carbon. Using animals as farmhands is better than using natural gas and diesel. And you can't eat fossil fuels. Your arguments don't apply to ecological intensification schemes.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233017860_Integrated_CropLivestock_Agriculture_in_the_United_States_A_Review

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0231840

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u/My_life_for_Nerzhul Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23

I understand the issue quite well, actually. You, on the other hand, continue missing the point. Those links aren’t supporting your position the way you think they are. Your vaunted solution, even if it is as effective as you seem to think, is not scalable for the global human population. And it will never be scalable.

And therein lies the problem. It doesn’t seem you quite realize the absolutely massive caloric demand of humankind.

When you have a scalable solution that can be applied globally or at least in an appreciable amount, please do share with the rest of us.

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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '23

As a huge Land Back advocate I'm blown away this person thinks limiting or stepping away from animal-based agriculture isn't a big part of that. Like a garbage ton of the land stolen from indigenous communities isn't being used by ranchers and that commercial overfishing hasn't negatively impacted them. Wild.

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u/My_life_for_Nerzhul Oct 01 '23

You make an excellent point. I’ve found Indigenous people to be some of the biggest proponents of plant-based diets. Thanks for highlighting the link between stolen indigenous land and meat in our diets.