25/05/2020
Hopefully we all now understand that we need to stop eating animals to save our planet and our health!
The increasing number of articles in the mainstream media covering animal exploitation and infectious zoonotic disease demonstrate a change in attitudes, and shows just how urgently our food system needs to change.
As the pandemic has continued, there has been a notable and significant shift in the conversation and indeed to people’s attitudes surrounding animal farming.
Ultimately, Covid-19 has shone a light on the failings of our current animal-based food system. It has shown how exploiting animals in turn causes us suffering and death as well, and how animals are nothing more than commodities to these industries. The facade that farmers love their animals is also being exposed, as millions of animals are being brutally culled (killed), just to save farmers money.
It has shone a light on how the system is propped up on the intense exploitation of slaughterhouse workers and how little regard the industry has towards their wellbeing, and how absurd amounts of money, billions every year, are being spent propping up an industry that is wholly reliant on government handouts to survive. In fact, the US government, on top of the billions they already give to farmers, have just given them another $19 billion.
To add further insult to injury, there are campaigns trying to encourage people to eat more animal products during this time, all whilst the people most at risk of dying from -19 are those with underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, which is inextricably linked to animal product consumption, and can be reversed through a whole foods plant-based diet.
All of these issues being brought to the surface is having a huge knock on effect. In the UK, 20% of Brits are reducing their meat consumption and 15% are reducing their dairy and/or egg consumption during lockdown. There has also been a record number of people sign up for Meat Free May and in the US, plant-based meat sales increased by 255% compared to the same time last year.
People are listening, and things are changing.
Do you know anyone who has changed their consumer habits during this time?
