The Ethics of Eating Meat

[Left Coast]

Lately, I've been having an increasingly hard time ethically justifying meat consumption. Unless you live in some remote wilderness where animals are your only feasible source of nourishment, meat is not necessary for our survival. So I've been asking myself, why needlessly support killing animals simply to satisfy my taste preferences?

Do you consider it ethical to eat meat? If yes, are there any circumstances in which you consider it unethical? Do you eat some types of meat but not others (for ethical reasons)? What reasoning do you use to arrive at your conclusion?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Lately, I've been having an increasingly hard time ethically justifying meat consumption. Unless you live in some remote wilderness where animals are your only feasible source of nourishment, meat is not necessary for our survival. So I've been asking myself, why needlessly support killing animals simply to satisfy my taste preferences?

Do you consider it ethical to eat meat? If yes, are there any circumstances in which you consider it unethical? Do you eat some types of meat but not others (for ethical reasons)? What reasoning do you use to arrive at your conclusion?

I think many people see it similar to you but maybe a different question would be, is it the saying of meat in it self or the killing of the animal that is more ethically wrong action?

If you did not kill the animal, or asked someone to kill it for you. Would the meat in it self be something else then meat?

So even i try avoid meat, to me it is the killing that is most ethically wrong

 

[George-ananda]

Do you consider it ethical to eat meat? If yes, are there any circumstances in which you consider it unethical? Do you eat some types of meat but not others (for ethical reasons)? What reasoning do you use to arrive at your conclusion?

I was a much stronger vegetarian a few years back but I'm cheating more lately. One thing that caught my attention is that there is currently not enough arable land at this time for the entire world to be vegans. The oceans and animal products are still needed to cover significant shares of human calorie consumption at this time.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Lately, I've been having an increasingly hard time ethically justifying meat consumption. Unless you live in some remote wilderness where animals are your only feasible source of nourishment, meat is not necessary for our survival. So I've been asking myself, why needlessly support killing animals simply to satisfy my taste preferences?

Do you consider it ethical to eat meat? If yes, are there any circumstances in which you consider it unethical? Do you eat some types of meat but not others (for ethical reasons)? What reasoning do you use to arrive at your conclusion?

I've come up with a way to eat meat without the ethical issues... short version "try not to think about it". Works for me.

 

[The Hammer]

Lately, I've been having an increasingly hard time ethically justifying meat consumption. Unless you live in some remote wilderness where animals are your only feasible source of nourishment, meat is not necessary for our survival. So I've been asking myself, why needlessly support killing animals simply to satisfy my taste preferences?

Do you consider it ethical to eat meat? If yes, are there any circumstances in which you consider it unethical? Do you eat some types of meat but not others (for ethical reasons)? What reasoning do you use to arrive at your conclusion?

I think whether or not it is ethical to eat meat comes down to if the animals themselves were treated ethically, which includes being killed in a manner that is as quick and painless as possible. It's undue suffering and maltreatment that is ethically wrong IMO.

Edit: Which is why I would love to raise and grow my own food, animal and otherwise.

 

[The Hammer]

I was a much stronger vegetarian a few years back but I'm cheating more lately. One thing that caught my attention is that there is currently not enough arable land at this time for the entire world to be vegans. The oceans and animal products are still needed to cover significant shares of human calorie consumption at this time.

Do you have any sources for that info? If like to see studies on this actually being done.

 

[Left Coast]

I was a much stronger vegetarian a few years back but I'm cheating more lately. One thing that caught my attention is that there is currently not enough arable land at this time for the entire world to be vegans. The oceans and animal products are still needed to cover significant shares of human calorie consumption at this time.

Do you have a scientific reference for this? I've heard it's a myth but would be curious to see data.

 

[Left Coast]

Do you have any sources for that info? If like to see studies on this actually being done.

I've heard that we're actually using more land than we would otherwise because a large portion of our crops goes to feed the cattle whose meat and milk we eat. But I defer to scientists on the question.

 

[Left Coast]

I think whether or not it is ethical to eat meat comes down to if the animals themselves were treated ethically, which includes being killed in a manner that is as quick and painless as possible. It's undue suffering and maltreatment that is ethically wrong IMO.

I'm not sure there's ever a circumstance to "ethically kill" an animal that poses no threat to you or isn't necessary for your own survival. It seems almost an oxymoron. We're treating animals "humanely"...to kill them. There seems to be an ethical conflict there.

 

[Left Coast]

I think many people see it similar to you but maybe a different question would be, is it the saying of meat in it self or the killing of the animal that is more ethically wrong action?

If you did not kill the animal, or asked someone to kill it for you. Would the meat in it self be something else then meat?

So even i try avoid meat, to me it is the killing that is most ethically wrong

I agree. I think scientists may actually be working on a way to clone meat for consumption? And that would avoid the ethical problems with killing animals. I'm not sure I'd trust cloned meat grown in a lab, but some people probably would.

 

[The Hammer]

I'm not sure there's ever a circumstance to "ethically kill" an animal that poses no threat to you or isn't necessary for your own survival. It seems almost an oxymoron. We're treating animals "humanely"...to kill them. There seems to be an ethical conflict there.

There is, but I am ok with that/accept that. The process would be a spiritual one for me (if/when I perform the actions). I also never said to treat them "humanely", to not draw that comparison; I said treat them ethically, there is a difference in my views.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I agree. I think scientists may actually be working on a way to clone meat for consumption? And that would avoid the ethical problems with killing animals. I'm not sure I'd trust cloned meat grown in a lab, but some people probably would.

I would not eat cloned meat, same as i dont eat food thas been genetically modified

 

[The Hammer]

I agree. I think scientists may actually be working on a way to clone meat for consumption? And that would avoid the ethical problems with killing animals. I'm not sure I'd trust cloned meat grown in a lab, but some people probably would.

I'd eat it. I'm all for lab grown stem cell meat.

 

[George-ananda]

Do you have a scientific reference for this? I've heard it's a myth but would be curious to see data.

Do you have any sources for that info? If like to see studies on this actually being done.

From Nova:

When applied to an entire global population, the vegan diet wastes available land that could otherwise feed more people. That’s because we use different kinds of land to produce different types of food, and not all diets exploit these land types equally.

Article: Going Vegan Isn't the Most Sustainable Option for Humanity

Basically animals like cows and sheep can live off land not good for farming.

Another excerpt: Even partially omnivorous diets rank above veganism in terms of sustainability; incorporating about 20 to 40% meat in your diet is actually better for the long-term course of humanity than being completely meat-free.

 

[The Hammer]

I would not eat cloned meat, same as i dont eat food thas been genetically modified

All food has been genetically modified by humans. From the most basic of grains we grow, to the steaks we eat. It's how we cross polinate and grow better food.

 

[Left Coast]

There is, but I am ok with that/accept that. The process would be a spiritual one for me (if/when I perform the actions). I also never said to treat them "humanely", to not draw that comparison; I said treat them ethically, there is a difference in my views.

Sorry, I didn't mean to put the word humane in your mouth. It's a common adjective used by the meat and dairy industry to describe how their animals are raised or even to describe how they're killed.

When you say, "if/when I perform the actions," do you mean you only eat meat you kill yourself?

 

[The Hammer]

Another excerpt: Even partially omnivorous diets rank above veganism in terms of sustainability; incorporating about 20 to 40% meat in your diet is actually better for the long-term course of humanity than being completely meat-free.

This is something I have always suspected. I think this is closer to respecting our place within the web of life.

 

[Spirit of Light]

All food has been genetically modified by humans. From the most basic of grains we grow, to the steaks we eat. It's how we cross polinate and grow better food.

I should have Said lab modified food. And i grow my own vegetabiles now. I want to avoid the food governments say is healthy. And i do not eat meat when i cooking my own food

 

[The Hammer]

Sorry, I didn't mean to put the word humane in your mouth. It's a common adjective used by the meat and dairy industry to describe how their animals are raised or even to describe how they're killed.

When you say, "if/when I perform the actions," do you mean you only eat meat you kill yourself?

My edit you may have missed: "
Edit: Which is why I would love to raise and grow my own food, animal and otherwise."

I would love to and have a plan to own my own land, and raise my own crops and food for consumption. A family of four can be fed on about 1 acre of arrible land.

 

[Left Coast]

From Nova:

When applied to an entire global population, the vegan diet wastes available land that could otherwise feed more people. That’s because we use different kinds of land to produce different types of food, and not all diets exploit these land types equally.

Article: Going Vegan Isn't the Most Sustainable Option for Humanity

Basically animals like cows and sheep can live off land not good for farming.

Another excerpt: Even partially omnivorous diets rank above veganism in terms of sustainability; incorporating about 20 to 40% meat in your diet is actually better for the long-term course of humanity than being completely meat-free.

Other studies appear to have reached different conclusions:

Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth

I genuinely haven't studied the subject in enough depth, but it'll be something interesting to research more!