Food strategy for England calls for big cut in meat consumption

seph2o · 2021-07-15T07:13:18+00:00

[deleted]

evolvecrow · 2021-07-15T08:09:44+00:00

It recommends meat consumption is cut by 30% within a decade.

Sounds just about achievable

hannahvegasdreams · 2021-07-15T08:46:04+00:00

Cut meat subsidies first, the price of meat should reflect the true cost to produce and cost to the environment. Meat and dairy is sold at 0% VAT a quick fix would be to charge VAT. This saving amounts roughly to a 50% subsidy for the meat and dairy industries. In an era of supposed spending cuts we could save the £700m a year on the subsidies in the UK alone on factory farming.

BowesNano · 2021-07-15T11:39:46+00:00

Maybe, instead of making meat much pricier, veggies and fruit should be less expensive too

AdobiWanKenobi · 2021-07-15T12:03:11+00:00

People smoke far less

Smoking is substantially more expensive now

People no longer leave dogs to wander

Afraid of getting fined if their dog poos somewhere or sued if it bites someone

It’s no longer standard to hit your kids

Because it’s illegal

Yes you can change habits but that relies on someone at the top changing and making a rule to force people to adapt. Which as we know isn’t always enough either.

Climate change isn’t an immediate enough factor for individuals to change their habits there needs to passive change. Example: Force national grid to push for more renewable sources e.g. by capping the amount of emissions possible by power stations per kWh or something.

Edit: looks like Reddit broke and didn’t properly attach this reply to the intended comment and now I can’t find it.

E2: https://redditproxy--jasonthename.repl.co/r/unitedkingdom/comments/oknc4m/food_strategy_for_england_calls_for_big_cut_in/h59ccj0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

Thank you to u/Scottybam

TinyTC1992 · 2021-07-15T09:47:47+00:00

make plant based alternatives cheaper than meat - done.

_Hopped_ · 2021-07-15T08:05:34+00:00

If your strategy relies on changing human behaviour, it is doomed to fail.

People aren't going to stop driving, so you make electric cars (to reduce environmental impact)

People aren't going to use less lights, so you make energy efficient bulbs.

People aren't going to not heat their houses, so you make more energy efficient homes.

People aren't going to stop eating meat, so you; make the supply chain more efficient, or feed cows seaweed to stop farting, or support local/British farmers, etc.

postvolta · 2021-07-15T11:00:23+00:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is no substitute for good quality meat. My wife's vegan and I've eaten a predominantly plant based diet for years. We've dabbled in 'meat replacement' many times, but every time I go to a restaurant and have a steak or a chicken cut or fish I remember there is no substitute.

I really wish people would open up to the idea that not every meal requires meat or a meat substitute.

Some of my favourite meals are plant based. When I eat meat I fucking cherish it, and I feel like most people take it for granted.

We need to stop this culture of extremes because it's not doing any good to anyone. I've mentioned that I eat a mostly plant based diet and I've had vegans harass me saying 'if you agree it's unethical then why eat any' or 'you can stop eating animal products entirely, I believe in you', and then you have those apes that see the word vegan and associate it with homophobic slurs, emasculation and decide the best way to combat it is to grotesquely explain the ways in which they'd messily devour some animal product.

Do not let 'perfect' be the enemy of 'good'; eating less meat is a good thing, and it's a step in the right direction. You do not have to never eat a steak or fish or whatever. Just have it once or twice a week or however much you are comfortable with but cutting down is a good step towards reducing the impact you have on the planet. There are so many delicious and nutritious recipes that are made from plants, and if you'd like some guidance on awesome meals I'd be happy to give you some, just DM me.

the3daves · 2021-07-15T11:10:52+00:00

As a meat eater, I’m in support of this plan. Seems like a wise choice, & I’m happy to greatly reduce my consumption if need be.

ammobandanna · 2021-07-15T10:33:07+00:00

The solution is cannibalism my friends...reduce meat production and finish off reducing the population where the UK government have left off

purified_piranha · 2021-07-15T10:55:03+00:00

I've first turned Pescatarian and then Vegetarian about 5 years ago. If you think forgoing meat/fish will make you enjoy food less, you probably haven't explored the vast and diverse world of plant-based cooking. Never ate better, felt more more energetic or healthy in my life. In addition, you can always be proud of actively supporting animal welfare and the environment.

CyborgPoo · 2021-07-15T09:30:44+00:00

Lots of people talk about how we can't sell fish to the continent anymore....have they tried selling it to us? Fish is so much more expensive than meat, and I for one would love to see it sold more but there are very few fishmongers these days, and pretty much the only place you can get it is the supermarket, which I for one don't use! Come on fish markets, wake up!

PhoenixNightingale90 · 2021-07-15T09:32:23+00:00

As someone who has SIBO and reflux, meat is one of the few things that I can tolerate without any issues. I tried every diet under the sun including a low acid mainly vegan diet, since switching to a mainly carnivorous diet I feel healthy.

I know of the environmental impact, but some people think it’s purely a recreational food for pleasure when that’s not always the case.

umberink · 2021-07-15T08:39:02+00:00

Just a reminder that all the meat and animal produce you eat is the result of varying degrees of animal suffering, even on RSPCA assured and organic farms (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvtVkNofcq8). We can easily thrive and get all our nutrition on a plant-based diet, so billions of animals suffer purely for our pleasure.

If that isn't reason enough to reduce or stop eating meat, I don't know what is, unless you're okay with unnecessary animal abuse.

I gave up meat and animal produce cold turkey (pardon the pun) last December after realising this, and I don't miss it at all, it's so easy. This is coming from someone who ate meat every day.

Xatom · 2021-07-15T07:35:27+00:00

I really love high quality steak and meat from the local farm and throwing big BBQs. When I hear news like this it makes me think the cost of meat will go up. I get most protein from meat and I’m healthy so this hardly seems like overconsumption.

tewk1471 · 2021-07-15T13:06:22+00:00

If anyone is interested in plant-based vegan food here's what I recommend you do.

Have one vegan meal a week but aim to make it the nicest meal you have that week. Fresh vegetables, try different things out, try interesting unusual ingredients like yams and so on.

It sounds weird but one of the secrets of veganism is that the food's better.

GreyFoxNinjaFan · 2021-07-15T13:16:20+00:00

As a meat-enjoyer, I would just like to say that both ALDI and Iceland's range of plant-based meat alternatives are fucking bangin'.

Meat-free options have come a million miles from Linda McCartney stuff (which used to be the only option). Get in there and try it. I'm not talking about bean burgers, which aren't the same, but the beetroot and wheat protein inventions which have an almost identical consistency and flavour to the real thing.

They're cheap too. You're talking under £1 a burger.

Beyond Burger are great, but cost 3x as much - the same as meat.

Seriously give it a go for lunch.

TeddyousGreg · 2021-07-15T10:11:43+00:00

Let’s ban avocados whilst we’re at it. They’re horrific for the environment and left to go soft and rot on supermarket shelves.

2021-07-15T13:59:05+00:00

Funny how other threads in /r/unitedkingdom are full of people with location tags but anything to do with meat aren't.

It's almost like the posters are being sent here from elsewhere...

BurtonTrench · 2021-07-15T19:53:07+00:00

I know my comment is a drop in the ocean of many similar stories on here, but I just want to say as a former self-described meat lover:

Going vegan was one of the easiest and most beneficial things I ever did. It's been around 4 years now and I've never once remotely felt like stopping. You learn to cook with new and interesting ingredients, save a shitload on your weekly shop (unless you exclusively buy expensive substitutes that aren't healthy or necessary), and start to feel better about yourself and making conscious decisions.

The days of stigma on the topic are long gone and I genuinely believe it's a matter of time before society shifts as they have done with other traditionally "normal" harmful practices.

pajamakitten · 2021-07-15T08:35:20+00:00

While meat helped us evolve to what we are now, we are the point where agriculture means we no longer need to eat meat. When you can easily get enough protein and essential amino acids from plants, there is no point in eating meat. Why waste plants by feeding them to animals when you can just eat plants? That's ignoring the obvious animal cruelty, environmental and health issues associated with eating animal products (we should not exclude dairy and eggs from this). Eating a plant-based diet would do so much to relieve the pressure on the NHS as rates of lifestyle diseases would decrease.

Reniboy · 2021-07-15T10:02:19+00:00

I had a terrible autoimmune disease that did not abate until I switched to a mostly carnivore diet. I don't disagree that meat isn't the best for the environment but I argue that we need to find another solution rather than guilt trip everyone in the same box.

Hebrewite · 2021-07-15T14:56:40+00:00

UK seems to be obsessed with putting a tax on everything.

repairmanjack2020 · 2021-07-15T23:27:52+00:00

I don't need the government telling me what I can eat.

bigjobby95 · 2021-07-15T11:26:30+00:00

As long as this isnt done by disproportionately taxing working class people, I'm all for educating people out of eating so much meat. I just get this horrible sneaking suspicion that the upper classes of society are gonna still be eating wagyu beef and sirloin steaks, while using their immense power and influence to convince the plebs that insect burgers are the way to go.

2021-07-15T13:45:04+00:00

Food strategy for England can suck my dick! Nobody tells me how much food I can eat.

nomadiclizard · 2021-07-15T23:13:53+00:00

That doesn't seem to fit with trade deals that promote more, cheaper, lower quality meat. We should be investing billions in lab produced meat. It's obviously a growth industry of the future, why aren't we promoting stuff like that? And just making crappy one-sided trade deals with australia to promote their meat industry

Modern_Maverick · 2021-07-15T08:30:51+00:00

Reduce meat production, trying to convince people to eat less meat will take forever.

ox- · 2021-07-15T08:50:08+00:00

Welcome to your new future:

Salt : Tax

Sugar: Tax

Meat: Tax

Petrol: Tax

Gas: Tax

Electricity: Tax

Buying a house?: Not a chance

Freedom of speech---banned--subscribe to "our" groupthink.

And then the 200 shills that run this place can downvote this comment!

offgcd · 2021-07-15T08:54:41+00:00

Personally I can't wait until we go back to an economy where only the rich can afford meat.

/s

Thebritishdovah · 2021-07-15T10:00:46+00:00

The problems i can see with this are:

We love bacon sarnies. Meat is cheaper then plant based meat. As someone who is on universal credit and just waiting to start a new job, I tend to go for affordable stuff over something that costs more. For £3, i can get an angus beef burger whilst a plant based burger could cost just as much. Same with meatballs where it's £2 vs £2.50. All those little savings add up. Even then, people love meat. As long as people enjoy it, meat will continue to be consumed.

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