Why is the livestock sector so important?
- The livestock sector accounts for 40% of agricultural GDP
- It employs 1.3 billion people
- 1/3 of humanity's protein intake is provided by livestock
- Meat consumption contributes to the cause of obesity
- However, it could also rectify undernourishment
It's easy to just follow the crowd. It's easy to blame the society and its norms, whether they're putting pressure on us, or restricting us.
How did the meat culture start?
When human beings moved out of the equatorial areas where plant foods were unavailable year round, humans began to hunt for their food. This meant that meat consumption was necessary for survival. This was mainly in the periods of severe droughts or in seasons where crops cannot grow.
Eventually, the consumption of meat became almost part of the culture in those countries. As a result, meat consumption has integrated into these people's lives and so humans began to eat it anyway; because it was cultural and had a deeper meaning. (Taken from Get Vegucated Documentary)
However, now we can have access to plant food year round due to improved technology to allow imports, why do we continue to eat meat unnecessarily?
As our fellow friends, the Economists would say, a trend is a reason for an increase in demand for a product. Consequently leading to an increase in supply for the product, shifting the equilibrium, and thus increasing quantity (and sometimes the price).
Remember our dear burger?
This worldwide consumer trend, (in the Google Trends screenshot in previous post) has contributed to the overall increase in demand for meat. Of course, there are other underlying reasons for higher meat demand over the years too, such as higher incomes and more efficient transportation methods.
As shown below, the world meat production has been increasing at a very high rate;
Global meat production increased by 2.6 percent in 2010 to 290.6 million tons, an increase from the 0.8 percent growth rate of 2009. Even with this minimal increase, however, worldwide meat production has tripled since the 1970s. The increase continutes the steady growth of the past decade. Since 2000, global meat production has risen by 20 percent.But why are humans becoming more and more carnivorous?
1) Countries becoming wealthier
The consumption of meat and the level of income are positively correlated. Meat and dairy are replacing staple foods due to higher incomes and wealth.
World Watch Institute, written in 'Meat Production Continues to Rise',
"Experts predict that by 2050 nearly twice as much meat will be produced as today, for a prejected total of more than 465 million tons. For more than a decade, the strongest increases in production have been in the developed world in 1995 more meat and dairy products were produced in developing than in industrial countries for the first time, and this trend has continues ever since. In fact in 2007, at least 60 percent of meat was produced in developing nations."
2) Population growth
With the population growing exponentially, humans need to find more resources to ensure survival.
3) Urbanisation
"Urbanisation stimulates improvements in infrastructure, including cold chains, which permit trade in perishable goods."
4) Developing countries
Due to the declining prices in developing countries, the average family is more willing and able to have meat in their diets and thus meat consumption has increased. Furthermore, the idea that meat is a luxury food product is causing the food palette to change from cheaper foods (like vegetables) to meat.
Just because of natural human behaviour; to have the desire to jump on the bandwagon, and want to be seen as desirable by our peers, meat production has become a growing industry.
In effect, its digging our own graves and the graves of our future.
IF WE'RE NOT DEMANDING IT... THERE IS NO NEED TO PRODUCE IT.
Happy Meatless Monday!
Tune in next Monday for a new post on the effect of animal agriculture on global warming.
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