Inadvertent Slaughter in the Wheat Fields
Published figures suggest that, in Australia, producing wheat and other grains results in:
- at least 25 times more sentient animals being killed per kilogram of useable protein
- more environmental damage, and
- a great deal more animal cruelty than does farming red meat.
How is this possible?
Mike Archer, Professor of Evolution of Earth and Life Systems Research at the University of New South Wales goes on to explain. Its an interesting perspective on the often stale vegetarian-meat eater debate.
There are a few more issues to harvesting kangaroos for food then are implied in the article. Adult females are likely to have several young in various states of development, which have to be killed also. So, I’m not sure that this is the least impact meat?
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/publications/kangaroo-report/welfare.html
Thanks, Adam. No easy answers.
Unless you make sure all animal products you eat are strictly range based, rest assured the animals have been fed grain. Last time I looked feeding grain to animals to convert to food is less efficient than eating grains/pulses directly.
Don’t forget the whole process – there’s more to animal based diets than happy cows eating grass. Consider slaughter, transport etc