Pakistanis love their food, and meat is a central component of most Pakistani food recipes
It may be time, however, to reconsider our meat-eating habits due to health concerns, as well as ecological and ethical imperatives
Yes, animals eat other animals, and humans have been consuming animal meat and other products (dairy and eggs) from the time before civilisation began
However, hunters and gatherers relied much more frequently on gathering than on hunting animals
The scale of animal product consumption has risen sharply over time, and the ways in which we treat animals has also become increasingly problematic
Increasing commodification has led animals to be reared and slaughtered in inhumane conditions
Many poorer countries don’t even adequately follow hygiene standards aiming to regulate animal rearing, milk production, and slaughter practices
For the Muslim world, the Islamic injunction for halal slaughter is not supposed to be confined to the method of slaughter, it should also prevent animal cruelty
Halal injunctions stipulate that animal must be killed as quickly and humanely as possible, and that they should not be frightened at slaughter by sharpening the knife or killing another animal in front of them
Go to any local butchery or even a slaughterhouse in most Muslim countries, and it will be clear that these latter principles are not being followed
While meat provides essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and proteins, red meat especially increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers
Poultry and livestock are pumped full of antibiotics to increase productivity, and much of the fish consumed has high levels of mercury
The meat industry also has major ecological impacts
The meat and dairy industries have a major carbon footprint, accounting for around 14
5% of global greenhouse gas emissions
Half the farmland in the world is used to sustain livestock and grow their feed
This ecological burden is worsening deforestation, biodiversity loss and increased use of chemical farming
Besides the environmental or health consequences of consuming meat and other animal products, another reason compelling people to change their eating habits is sympathy for animals
The inhumane confinement and slaughter of animals and the extractive way in which livestock is kept in a constant state of lactation to provide milk and dairy products in rich and poor countries alike is disturbing if one thinks about animals as living beings
Given the varied nutritional value that can be readily obtained from an exclusively plant-based diet, vegetarianism and veganism has become a growing trend across many countries
Vegans differ from vegetarians in that they do not only avoid meat but also dairy and other animal products including eggs, and even honey
There is no consolidated data available on the number of vegans or vegetarians around the world
A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori advisory group in 2018 estimated that 3% of the world population is vegan, 5% vegetarian, and 14% flexitarian i
e
those who occasionally eat meat
But much of the data for this survey was obtained from the developed world
In countries like India, for instance, vegetarianism is quite common
In other poorer countries, including our own, and many others, flexitarian is an economic necessity
Conversely, however, meat eating is a status symbol
With rising incomes, as in China, meat-eating has been increasing steadily over the recent past
With more vegan or vegetarian consumers, there is a growing range of food options available in supermarkets and restaurants in richer countries at least, which now actively cater to this growing consumer demand
In the developing world, market mechanisms may be more lethargic but there is nothing preventing us from rethinking our obsession with meat and revitalising traditional eating habits which were much less meat dependent
For those unwilling to stop animal product consumption altogether, it is still possible to try being more flexitarian which would also help save billions of animals being reared and confined for producing meat, dairy, and eggs, which is not essential for human beings to obtain the nutrition needed to lead healthy lives
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2022
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| Date: | 15-Jan-2022 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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