Climate change and my diet – should I go vegan?

 Twenty years ago I would have thought it cranky and absurd to go vegetarian – let alone vegan. I enjoy eating and have never really accepted Valère’s dictum¹  “Il faut manger pour vivre et non pas vivre pour manger”. However, I have been concerned at the growing consensus that our (especially western) diet is disrupting the ecology of the planet and exacerbating climate change. So what should I do about it?

My body weight has fallen in recent years and I now usually weigh about 54 kg, which gives me a body mass index below 18 kg/m² (recommended range being 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m²) – so I have no concerns about overeating. I am reasonably healthy and active for my age (79), so why should I be concerned?

According to the environmental and animal rights lobbies, there are several problems.

 

Meat

A major problem here is that ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats burp and fart too much. This is something to do with their consumption of otherwise indigestible plant matter (e.g. grass) which is processed by “enteric fermentation”. This produces methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. An additional problem is that the expansion of beef production requires creation of fresh pasture - typically by the clearance of forest which would otherwise absorb CO₂.

👎 Conclusion:  Avoid all beef and lamb products.

 

Pigs and poultry do not present the same problem (methane), but in order to produce their feed (e.g. grain or root crops) land must be used that could otherwise be used for humans’ vegetable crops (or preferably left as forest).  Again the CO₂ problem.

👎  Conclusion:  Try to avoid pork and poultry products that have been fed on imported grain.

 

Dairy

The dairy industry is intimately bound up with beef (or sheep or goat meat) production and is dependent on it. This is because in order to produce milk, cows must be impregnated and give birth to calves.  However, half of calves born are male, and unless they are immediately slaughtered and destroyed at birth, they can only be fattened up to produce veal or beef.  Thus, if consumption of beef is to be discouraged or phased out, then logically so should dairy products – including milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt

👎 Conclusion: Avoid all milk and other dairy products (butter, cheese, yoghurt)

 

Fish

There are several problems around consuming fish.

Firstly, although existing controls (such as the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy) attempt to protect some species, many are still endangered (e.g. bluefin tuna, swordfish, octopus). Moreover, there are still problems of illegal fishing around the world and destruction of bycatches. 

Secondly, some fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, are very destructive of the sea bed and the creatures that form part of the food chain of larger fish.  It is illegal in only a minority of inshore fishing grounds.

Thirdly, fish farming (e.g for salmon) has been criticised for causing pollution (from pesticides and fish excrement) and spreading parasites and disease, including spreading to fish outside the fish farm cages.  It also relies on potentially destructive harvesting of small pelagic fish to make fishmeal or pellets.

👎 Conclusion: Only eat fish that has been “responsibly caught”; and avoid farmed fish.

 

Exotic fruits and vegetables

While in principle most fruit, grain, pulses and vegetables are fine to eat, there are potential problems.  Some modern agricultural methods are claimed to pollute the environment – e.g. artificial chemical fertilisers, insecticides and weedkillers, which may be harmful to wildlife and biodiversity. Similarly, large scale monoculture – e.g palm oil plantations replacing tropical forest. The import of tropical fruits and temperate crops out of season, especially from the southern hemisphere (e.g. fresh peaches in December), results in additional long distance transport (including airfreight) and associated CO₂ emissions.

👎 Conclusion:  Prefer local (especially European) fruit and vegetables that are responsibly produced.  Avoid out-of-season temperate crops. Check the origin of any palm oil ingredients.

 

Replacements for meat and dairy

Much effort is being devoted to finding alternatives to meat and dairy products.  Meat substitutes are generally made from soya beans.  The expansion of soya production - leading to deforestation, monoculture and water shortage – has been heavily criticised by environmentalists, especially since much soya goes to feed livestock for meat and dairy production. However, only a small proportion is used for meat substitutes, and in moderation soya bean cultivation is regarded as acceptable.

Dairy substitutes also rely on soya production, but alternatives such as almonds, oats, cashew nuts and coconut are also used.  Of these oatmilk is considered to be the most environment-friendly, while almonds are discouraged. See https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/11/05/which-type-of-plant-based-milk-is-best

     👎 Conclusion: Prefer oat-derived products to soya or almond where possible.

 

Animal health and cruelty

I don’t agree with those animal rights activists who refuse to eat meat or fish on the grounds that it is exploiting another species.  Human beings have evolved naturally as omnivores and are well equipped to chew and digest meat.  Indeed, it is vegetarianism that is arguably unnatural.

However, I am opposed to cruelty to animals and poultry and hence I try to avoid pork, poultry and eggs that are not free range.  Similarly, I would expect animals to be slaughtered in as humane a way as possible, and it follows that the method of slaughter should be disclosed on meat and poultry labelling.

Whether the cruelty argument applies to fish I am not sure. Current scientific research indicates that fish do feel pain, which includes the pain of suffocation when they are caught.  But as there is no practical method of catching fish without suffocating them, this implies that we should not catch (and eat) fish. I can’t accept this conclusion, and I am afraid that some infliction of pain on fish is inevitable and just has to be accepted. (Seals and herring gulls, if they could reason, would probably reach the same conclusion).

Vegans also argue that industrial-scale commercial honey production is harmful to bees, but I do not think there is a problem with honey from local small scale bee-keepers. See https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/19/why-dont-vegans-eat-honey-google-questions 

👎 Conclusion: Avoid meat, poultry and eggs that are not free range and humanely slaughtered (including halal and kosher).  Avoid commercially produced honey.

 

Summary

I am trying to keep to the following rules:

• ·       No beef (or sheep or goat meat)

• ·       Avoid pork- or poultry-based products (e.g. bacon, sausages, salami) unless they are from free range animals and have been humanely slaughtered.

• ·       Avoid eggs unless free range

• ·       Avoid commercially produced honey

• ·       Avoid farmed fish, endangered species and fish imported from Far East or southern hemisphere

• ·       No dairy (including as ingredients in pâtés, soups, sauces etc)

• ·       Avoid temperate fruit and vegetables imported from outside Europe

So what is there left to eat?

If so many food items are ruled out on environmental or ethical grounds, what can I eat with a clear conscience?

In practice I have not so far found it difficult to observe these rules. Nutritionists tell us that a balanced diet should include protein, carbohydrates, unsaturated fats (in moderation) together with minerals and vitamins. Also plenty of fruit and vegetables.

For protein, I eat plenty of pulses (beans, lentils, peas); poultry and pork products (though not more than twice per week); occasional free range eggs; and permissible fish. Surprisingly, there are also significant amounts of protein in bread and oatmeal (i.e. porridge).

Carbohydrates are mostly plant-based anyway: potatoes, pasta, bread, rice.

Fats: vegetable oils, such as sunflower and olive, and their derivatives (e.g. margarine)

Fruit and vegetables: since these are seasonal crops, I buy extra quantities in the summer and autumn and freeze them for consumption in the winter – thus avoiding unseasonal imports of temperate products.

As the main household shopper I have generally been able to assemble a satisfying weekly menu from these ingredients. Main evening meals have typically been three vegetarian, two fish, and one each of pork and chicken. Breakfasts and lunches are mainly vegetarian. 

So should I go vegan?

Returning to the question I started with, I suppose being vegan is one of those things - like being pregnant - that you either are or are not.  You can’t be partially vegan.

As I am not persuaded by the animal cruelty/exploitation arguments used by some vegetarians and vegans, I am not prepared to give up all meat products – provided that they comply with my rules above.  So although I have given up some of the things that are offensive to vegans, I am clearly not actually going vegan.

My concerns are primarily about environmental issues – CO2 emissions, pollution, deforestation, loss of wildlife diversity.  It is these factors that will determine whether I will restrict or expand my diet.

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 ¹ A character in Molière’s “L’Avare”, Act III, Scene 1 – actually citing Socrates