Ethical Meat Consumption: The Dark Side Of Meatless Mondays

I bang on eating meat and organ meats for their health benefits – and, while I may have convinced you to consider chowing down on more steak to regain your health, you may be torn when you hear about the negative environmental impact of animal farming.

The great meat debate has many of us questioning our food choices, stuck between craving that perfectly grilled steak and wondering if we should opt for a quinoa bowl instead.

As someone who’s spent a lot of time thinking about food ethics, I can tell you that ethical meat consumption isn’t just a trending hashtag – it’s a complex topic that deserves our attention.

Here’s the thing: according to a 2020 Gallup poll, one in four Americans have already started reducing their meat consumption. Maybe you’re one of them, or perhaps you’re wondering why anyone would voluntarily give up bacon.

Whether you’re a dedicated meat eater but struggling with the ethical angle or someone trying to navigate the confusing world of food labels, this guide will help you make informed decisions about your meat consumption.

But before we dive into the how-to’s of ethical meat eating, we need to understand what’s really at stake.

Is eating meat inherently unethical? Can meat consumption be sustainable? And what exactly makes meat “ethical” anyway?

Table of Contents

TL;DR

Ethical meat consumption is possible through supporting regenerative farming practices and choosing grass-fed, free-range animals over factory farms
While livestock farming impacts greenhouse gas emissions, proper animal agriculture can actually benefit soil health and biodiversity
The least harm principle suggests that meat consumption cause fewer overall lives lost than a solely plant-based diet
Supporting local farmers practicing sustainable food animal production is key to making meat consumption more ethical while maintaining its nutritional benefits

Understanding the Ethical Meat Debate

The conversation around ethical meat consumption has evolved significantly in recent years, moving beyond simple yes-or-no arguments to more nuanced discussions about how we produce and consume animal products.

This shift isn’t just about animal welfare – though that’s certainly important – it’s about understanding the broader impact of our food choices on our health, the environment, and society as a whole.

The Rise of Conscious Consumption

Today’s consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and with good reason. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that livestock farming accounts for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

My question is how that is calculated and is it accurate? For instance, if it includes such things as cows burping, can this be fairly compared with motor fumes?

But it’s not just environmental concerns driving this interest. Animal welfare concerns have led to significant changes in consumer behavior – a study found that 14% of U.S. consumers surveyed had reduced their pork consumption by 56% on average due to animal welfare concerns.

Current Trends in Meat Consumption

The landscape of meat consumption is changing. While global demand for protein continues to grow, particularly in developing nations, many people in food-secure countries are rethinking their approach to eating meat.

This isn’t just about choosing between being a meat eater or adopting a vegan diet – many are taking a middle ground, focusing on reducing meat consumption while ensuring what they do eat aligns with their values.

However, some studies suggest that the number of animals killed in the production of vegan diets may be greater than that of diets including some meat.

Intensive cropping systems for vegan diets can lead to significant field animal deaths, while grazing practices for meat could potentially reduce overall harm to animals by decreasing the use of machinery that kills field animals.

The health benefits of eating meat can not be argued so my concern is that while people are reducing their meat consumption for ethical reasons, are they compromising their health?

Why Ethics Matter in Our Food Choices

The ethics of meat consumption touch on several crucial areas:

Animal welfare science tells us that animals are sentient beings capable of suffering
Environmental studies show that meat production can have significant ecological impacts
Human health research indicates both benefits and potential risks of meat consumption
Economic analyses reveal complex relationships between food security and access to high-quality protein

These factors create what experts call “ethical consumerism” – where people make purchasing decisions based on their values rather than just price and convenience.

The Case Against Meat Consumption

Let’s face it – there are some compelling arguments against conventional meat eating, and we’d be doing you a disservice by not addressing them head-on. Think of this section as the vegetables you eat before the main course – not always comfortable, but necessary for a balanced perspective.

Environmental Impact

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, livestock farming is believed to have a significant footprint. It’s not just about cow burps (yes, that’s actually a thing) – the entire system of conventional meat production poses environmental challenges.

Livestock farming is said to contribute to:

14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions
Deforestation in some regions
Water quality issues from farm runoff
Natural resource depletion
Soil degradation in areas of intensive farming

Animal Welfare Concerns

The reality of factory farms is far from the idyllic barnyard scenes we see on packaging. In the U.S. alone, over 9 billion farmed animals are slaughtered annually, with most raised in intensive settings. Animal welfare science has shown that animals are capable of experiencing:

Pain and distress
Complex emotions
The need to exhibit natural behaviors
Social bonds with other animals

The conditions in many industrial farming operations can prevent animals from expressing these natural behaviors, leading to animal suffering and raising serious ethical concerns about how we produce meat for human consumption.

Human Health Considerations

While meat provides important nutrients, there is an argument that meat quality can be affected by the way the animals are reared and the diet they’re fed. Consider these factors:

Quality of meat matters
Industrial farming practices can affect food quality and food safety
The use of antibiotics in animal agriculture raises concerns
Environmental impacts of meat production can indirectly affect human health

The Case for Sustainable Meat Consumption

Now, before you swear off meat entirely, there’s another side to this story.

Ethical meat consumption isn’t just possible – it can actually contribute positively to both environmental and social systems when done right.

Nutritional Benefits

The nutritional benefits of meat consumption are well-documented. Current meat alternatives and plant-based alternatives still struggle to match the complete nutritional profile of meat, particularly regarding:

Vitamin B12
Bioavailable iron
High-quality protein
Zinc and other essential minerals

Simply put, there is no equivalent to meat. We’re constantly learning more about its plethora of nutrients that extend well beyond the above. It’s simply what our body needs and craves for health.

Environmental Benefits of Proper Grazing

Here’s something that might surprise you: properly managed grazing animals can actually benefit the environment. When ruminant animals are raised on pasture using regenerative practices, they can:

Improve soil health
Support carbon sequestration
Enhance biodiversity
Utilize land that can’t support crop production
Help maintain natural grassland ecosystems

So would you believe it, if you let ruminant animals graze fields, loving life, eating grass – that’s inedible to humans BTW – they will actually be beneficial to the environment? Almost sounds too simple.

The thing is that as simple as it sounds, many farmers struggle to adopt this way of farming, needing to feed them grains – which is where the argument that animals eat the food humans can eat – and fattening them up and churning them out as quickly as possible.

A way you and I can encourage regenerative farming is to support farmers that adopt this way and only buy meat that comes from regenerative farms meaning other farms will follow suit eventually.

The Least Harm Principle

So here’s where I think the suggested solution of eating a plant-based diet and avoiding eating meat falls down. In order to eat only plant-based food, we need mass cropping requiring large heavy-duty machinery to process – that doesn’t sound very eco-friendly to me.

Also, the argument for animal cruelty and saving lives becomes weak. Just think, how many lives are lost when a field is cropped? We must be talking millions, everything from insects to mice.

So, when we’re talking about the least harm principle, I reckon there is a higher ratio of lives lost and disturbed due to plant-based foods compared to meat production.

Food Security and Access

Let’s address something often overlooked in discussions about ethical meat consumption: not everyone has the privilege of choosing their diet. In many parts of the world, including developing nations, access to high-quality protein through meat consumption remains crucial for:

Preventing malnutrition
Supporting child development
Meeting essential nutritional needs
Ensuring food security for vulnerable populations

Dismissing meat consumption entirely could be seen as moral and cultural imperialism, especially when we consider that many communities rely on livestock farming for their livelihood and nutrition.

How to Eat Meat Ethically

Now that we understand both sides of the debate, let’s get practical. Here’s your roadmap to making more ethical choices about meat consumption without going to extremes.

Choosing High-Welfare Products

When shopping for meat, look for these certifications that ensure better animal welfare:

Global Animal Partnership (Levels 4-5+)
Animal Welfare Approved
Certified Humane
100% grass-fed and finished
USDA Organic (though this has limitations)
In the UK look for Pasture For Life butchers

Remember: “Natural” and “Humane” labels without certification aren’t regulated, so don’t be fooled by marketing.

Understanding What These Labels Really Mean

Let’s break down what matters:

Grass-fed:

Animals raised on pasture
Better for both animal welfare and environmental impact
Higher in beneficial nutrients

Free-range animals:

Access to outdoor areas
Ability to exhibit natural behaviors
Better quality of life

Organic:

No antibiotics or growth hormones
Access to outdoors (though quality varies)
Organic feed requirements

Selecting Sustainable Sources

Consider these factors when choosing meat:

Local sources when possible (reduces transport emissions)
Smaller-scale farms practicing regenerative agriculture
Butchers who source from ethical producers
Farmers’ markets where you can talk directly to producers

Reducing Overall Consumption?

One of the ways we’re encouraged to practice ethical meat consumption is to eat less of it. I’m not a fan of this.

It aggravates me when schools do vegan days and they serve no meat. I believe meat is essential for health so this is depriving kids as far as I’m concerned. It should be a choice.

Best Practices for Ethical Meat Consumption

Meat, and especially red meat, is something we’ve eaten as sustenance for millennia. It’s the reason we’ve developed the brains we have and made such advances as a species.

Our brains and bodies need and crave meat and the nutrients it provides, plant-based foods on their own are simply not enough for even a base level of health, let alone optimal health.

So I think avoiding meat consumption as a way of making it more ethical is not the best answer.

If we allow animals to roam around, grazing and pooping as nature intended – practicing regenerative farming – the result is carbon negative.

Logically this makes sense. We’re allowing animals to do what they do, how can that be bad for the environment?

Whereas cooping them up in feed lots and feeding them grains – that have been grown and cropped – to fatten them up and get them to slaughter weight quicker is far from natural. This is far from ethical.

The only way I can see regenerative farming becoming the norm is by encouraging people to buy from regenerative farms where possible. If you can’t find any locally, there are plenty that offer delivery.

The biggest challenge is cost. Regenerative-farmed meat costs much more than industrially farmed meat.

But we can opt for the cheaper cuts of beef rather than the ribeye. This is where air fryers come into their own. They can make a cheaper cut of need some to life. Don’t forget ground beef – it’s generally cheaper and versatile.

We can venture into the world of offal and organ meats. These are generally cheaper but when cooked well can be super tasty and highly nutritious.

Practice the nose-to-tail philosophy, it’s about making the most of the whole animal, leaving nothing to waste. It’s what our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have done and is the most ethical thing we can do when eating animals.

The Future of Ethical Meat

The landscape of meat consumption is evolving rapidly. Let’s look at what’s on the horizon.

Emerging Technologies

Innovation is reshaping how we think about meat production:

Cultured Meat:

Lab-grown alternatives showing promise
Potential to reduce environmental impact
Still facing challenges in scaling and acceptance

Plant-Based Alternatives:

Increasingly sophisticated meat substitutes
Improving nutritional profiles
Growing market acceptance

Sustainable Farming Practices

The future of ethical meat production lies in:

Regenerative agriculture techniques
Improved animal welfare standards
Better soil health management
Reduced environmental impact
Enhanced food system sustainability

Summary

Lab-grown meat… really? I say we stick with field-grown meat and stop messing with Mother Nature – she knows best. Who do we think we are?

And, plant-based alternatives… these are prime examples of highly processed human-made junk food. Just look at the ingredient list. Does this strike you as natural?

It’s so misleading to call these plant-based foods. Plant-based conjures up images of natural ingredients that are healthy. These products are not healthy and I think this is a false advertisement.

Regenerative farming is the way forward. It’s better for the environment, the animals and our health. There is no substitute that can come close.

Conclusion

I’ve tried to present an argument from both sides here but clearly, you can see I’m biased towards finding a way of keeping meat as our main dietary staple while making animal farming more ethical.

I don’t think going plant-based is the answer. I’m not an environmental specialist but a bit of logical thinking tells me that growing enough plant-based food to feed the world takes enormous resources.

It destroys thousands – if not millions of lives – per field, and destroys soil quality, which is not spoken about enough.

We can’t deny that meat provides superior nutrition and should be the basis for a healthy diet. I know this firsthand – I was eating in alignment with the common guidance… plenty of whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, reducing red meat & animal fat and replacing it with seed and vegetable oils.

The result of following this diet is that I struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome. I was not enjoying life and was merely existing feeling like I was about to have some kind of breakdown.

That was until I changed to a diet of real food. That is food in alignment with what our ancestors before us would’ve eaten – what I can call the ultimate human diet.

The food options we have today are bizarre to us. All this human-made, fake food is killing us – our digestive systems are not set up to deal with them.

The problem is that it’s killing us slowly so we don’t even know how or why it’s happening and we settle with pinning it on “getting to that age”, or “the joys of getting old”. We are designed to live fit and healthy into our old age and as soon as you change your diet, you’ll understand.

So, if we can find a way that we can eat meat and make it more ethical, we should be doing that. And, the crazy thing is that we can.

If we source out and support local farmers, those who use regenerative farming practices, we can rest easy knowing that we’re having a positive impact on the environment.

Ruminant animals should be chowing down on blades of grass and allowed to roam around. They poop in those fields which naturally fertilize it – it’s as if Mother Nature already figured it out.

Let’s get back to the way things are supposed to be, as Mother Nature intended.

And that’s it… have a nutritious day!

FAQs

What is the most ethical meat consumption?

The most ethical meat consumption involves choosing grass-fed, free-range animals raised with high animal welfare standards and supporting sustainable farming practices that prioritize both animal health and environmental stewardship.

Can meat be consumed ethically?

Yes, meat can be consumed ethically by choosing products from farms practicing regenerative agriculture, prioritizing animal welfare, and following the least harm principle.

Is there such a thing as ethically sourced meat?

Yes, ethically sourced meat exists through certified farms that prioritize animal welfare, allow animals to exhibit natural behaviors, and practice sustainable food animal production. Look for verified certifications rather than marketing claims.

How to eat meat more ethically?

Choose grass-fed and free-range animals, support local farms practicing sustainable animal agriculture, and avoid factory farms.

Ethical Meat Consumption: The Dark Side Of Meatless Mondays

TL;DR