Oh the eternal optimist. I reckon, seriously, just for the sake of positivity, we'll get beat 6-0 then Armageddon .
I'm about to start a meeting, otherwise I'd spend the next 20 minutes typing about some of the insane things I witnessed in the Deep South. Mental place.
Agree with that obviously, and I don't think anybody here is saying the contrary. They're just the first of their kind to enter the market. They're not perfect, far from it, but if they lead the way for similar products made from British grains and produced in Britain (as a previous poster already mentioned), then that's surely a good thing? Especially when, generally speaking, the plant-based burgers are healthier for you than the average beef alternative. Even if they are processed. I think you're perhaps oversimplifying or understating the problem when it comes to beef too. It's not just gas emissions, in fact that's not even the worst aspect, it's the land and water use required to sustain current levels. I could see your point if people were eating beef, and just British beef, only on special occasions, or at least a lot less than they do currently. But they don't, they want it once or twice a week or more.
That's definitely the way to go. Produce is great in those countries it's true. I miss the cultural experience of eating out in places though. In previous years I have just decided to go back to eating meat/dairy while on holiday, but this year I couldn't face it. We were near Bilbao, amazing places and people - just tricky to eat out. While we were there though there was a programme on local television about veganism and new products entering the supermarkets, so perhaps things will change as they have in Britain over the last 5 years or so. Can't see the French coming round to it, mind!
I just try & cut down on meat, especially red meat. Chicken is the meat that is most sustainable & has the lowest carbon footprint. Not a massive fan of the fake meat products for a lot of cooking. Made a veg chilli yesterday, which feeds me for three days & apart from pulses, and chopped peppers I slice up mushrooms really fine & it's similar to veggie mince in curries & chilli & I reckon more tasty. If everyone cut down a bit it would be good for their health.
I just try and have as much local things as possible. Man making fake meat isn’t going to end well. Eat locally, seasonally and do your bit, it’s companies and govts that can make true difference
I'm thinking of starting a blog on flexitarian cooking tips, unintended racism & obscure footballers from the 70's, 80's & 90's. First episode Wayne Goodison cooks a mushroom stroganoff & discusses whether white people can get away with having dreadlocks.
I'm not suggesting these burgers are a bad thing per se, just, as it stands, not a viable alternative if energy conservation and carbon emissions is the motivation. If animal welfare is the motivation then clearly they're a winner. A vegetarian diet is without doubt the most environmentally friendly a diet a person can have. If you're sitting down to a dinner tonight of fresh seasonal vegetables and potatoes or rice all grown in UK or Europe with no air miles to their name then good on you. If you've grown the vegetables yourself or bought from a local grower without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides there's even the possibility you could be carbon neutral or even positive. Until you fart anyway. But chuck a load of over processed preformed patties into that mix with thousands of air miles and tons of plastics used in transport and it begins to lose the appeal as an environmentally sound alternative. It's an animal welfare alternative of course but I seriously question the impact on our planet compared to a piece of grass fed meat raised and slaughtered less than 50 miles from where I live. There are numerous studies examining the impact of arable farming compared to rearing animals for meat and the conclusions are stark, the effect on the environment from growing crops is negligible compared to producing meat. But it's not the full picture. We need to change our practices radically. From harvest or slaughter to the plate there's a million sins. I think a meat alternative should be a an alternative to all bad practices and I don't think these are. But I'm not suggesting you shouldn't buy them. We're on the very outer edge of a moral dilemma here. There's a million steps from here down to my level of debauchery. I'll probably end the night eating a donner kebab! Or maybe something sweeter... Hope you enjoy your burgers
So was I, mate. All encompassing, inclusive resources.. George Mombiot has spent half his career researching the subject & has yet to be seriously tackled...
It's a reasoned point. Transportation is an important issue. Refrigeration is as a bigger issue. As is the transportation of live animals, largely unregulated in this country, leading to bad husbandry and our innocent wildlife catching the blame for industry failings.. but that's another story.. We do produce an enormous amount of plant based foods. You only have to look around you to see miles of rape seed fields, where once cattle grazed. Since small holding farmers were forced to abandon animal agriculture by the larger industrial production. & I do mean industrial... I could show anyone, very quickly, how sentient beings go from birth to plate. I have done In the past, on this forum & it made me no friends. I don't judge individuals, any longer. I'd be a hypocrite if I did. Meat aisles made me squirm, but I had no trouble preparing my elderly Mam's meals, towards the end. Apart from liver, that just stank..!!
Unless I go out for food I rarely buy anything but offal. Although to be honest, 90% of my energy consumption is alcohol.
Eat organic, high welfare meat as part of a varied diet. If we all became vegan there would be no cattle. sheep or other animals farmed - the whole world woudl be full of soya beans