Rethinking Meat: A Dietary Transformation

Imagine life today without sizzling steaks, favorite burger spots, or the smell of a roasting Thanksgiving day turkey. For some people, the idea is a lot easier to stomach than it is for others. As society continues to grow and advance, more people are opting for a diet that does not include meat because they are beginning to see the consequences of the ever-growing meat industry as an impending issue that can no longer be dismissed. Meat is a resource that has integrated itself into the lives of humans since the beginning, perhaps suggesting how the idea of letting it go is unimaginable to those who enjoy it. And because of meat’s extensive relationship in human survival, meat is viewed and used as a crucial dietary staple in the lives of

One of the reasons the abolishment of the meat industry is somewhat impossible is simply because of how much of the American lifestyle it truly makes up. According to the North American Meat Institute, “in 2013, more than 482,100 workers were employed in the meat and poultry packing and processing industries. Their combined salaries total more than $19 billion. Through its production and distribution linkages, the meat and poultry industry impacts firms in all 509 sectors of the U.S. economy, in every state and every congressional district in the country.” Meat industry and culture is so deeply embedded within the American lifestyle that its discontinuation would impact the United States on a monumental scale, supported by the North American Meat Institute’s conclusion that “in all, companies involved in meat production, along with with their suppliers, distributors, retailers and ancillary industries employ 6.2 million people in the U.S. with jobs that total $200 billion in wages… these companies and their employees provide $81.2 billion in revenues to federal, state, and local governments. The consumption of meat and poultry generates $2.4 billion in state sales taxes.” All of these

While meat has always been a part of the traditional human diet, supplies key nutrients, provides jobs to millions, and holds a crucial part in the United States economy, there are clear issues with the meat industry and its consumption. Humans have no need to rely on meat anymore in a world where there are hundreds upon thousands of meatless options available, a vegetarian diet is generally healthier than a diet containing meat, and animals are in no way cruelly mistreated or killed. While ambitious, a ban on the production and consumption of meat products could save the lives of both animals and people all across the United States. All it would take to save millions is a life without sizzling steaks, a favorite burger spot, or the smell of a roasting Thanksgiving day