Mark Gold Argument Analysis

Mark Gold proposes a big statement about global agriculture and how we as a human race can change the future in the global agriculture industry by simply eating less meat. There are many points in this report that support his argument and why he feels that eating less meat will benefit the world, such as lowering livestock production - Gold states multiple ways of how lowering livestock production will benefit the agricultural world as a whole- , decreasing the dependence on animal products, switching to a more plant based and Mediterranean style diet and changing food polices and he closes with the benefits for eating for good health. Both the negative and positive nutritional qualities are mentioned. Gold also discusses two principal ways

Dr. Jules Pretty, of the University of Essex defines agricultural sustainability as ‘”farming that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging the environment. Sustainable farming does this by integrating natural processes, such as nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, soil regeneration and natural pest control, within food production processes. It also minimizes the use of nonrenewable inputs that damage the environment or harm the health of farmers and consumers.” Of course, saying that policies are unsustainable seems opinionated but, according to the definition and Gold’s statements in his report, we can boldly say that some policies aren’t sustainable. Livestock production has become the largest user of agricultural land and in results damages some of the environment. According to this report, meat production in the second half of the 20th century has increased fivefold and per capita consumption doubled. Overall, massive areas of land that grow crops are given to these animals to feed them. “The growing population shares the planet and its resources at any one time with 1 billion

Good health! He distinctly states that “there is now a widespread agreement that poor diet has become a major cause of death and disease in the industrialized world. Heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes are health problems of epidemic proportions in which inappropriate eating habits play a significant role.” Gold presents facts and statements that support his arguments. He didn’t say that meat alone causes health problems, however, things such as high fatty foods/dietary fats and sugars do as well. Gold’s primary argument was that we should switch over to a more fruit, vegetable and plant based diet with more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (oils, soybeans, peanut butter, etc.). One diet Gold proposed was the Mediterranean diet stressing that, “the Mediterranean diet has come to be viewed by most recognized nutritionists as a good blueprint for healthy eating” and introduced Professor Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health in his report. Professor Walter Willett complies that the Mediterranean features include: “plenty of vegetables and whole grains and relatively little meat means a relatively low energy density. The abundance of vegetables and whole grains, as well as the relatively high percentage of make for mild effects on blood sugar. Just as important, this kind of diet is open to creative interpretation.” Gold’s goal here is to get more educated on this diet and possibly get