Our Food Choices and the World Around Us

[1]　Recently, vegetarianism has become more common as a lifestyle choice. Vegans are vegetarians who choose not to eat any products that come from animals, not just meat but also eggs and dairy products. Can you imagine having such a diet? Chances are that many of your favorite foods contain animal products. Although becoming a vegan or vegetarian can be difficult, recently more people are doing it because they feel it’s their responsibility as “global citizens.” Let’s explore some of the reasons why.

[2]　One reason relates to animal welfare. Many people feel that animals have similar rights to humans, so they do not want to support industries that cause animals to suffer. Egg-laying hens, for example, often spend their lives in small cages no wider than an A4-sized sheet of paper. Their cages are so small that the hens often injure themselves, suffering from broken bones and cuts. Males cannot lay eggs and are not suitable for meat, so they are generally killed soon after hatching. Furthermore, dairy cows are kept in a state of pregnancy so that they can always produce milk. Once they can no longer produce enough milk, they are usually killed.

[3]　Another reason why people choose to become vegetarians is because of the negative impact animal farming has upon the environment. A major reason for deforestation is the desire to make room for animals to graze, and to create crops for animal feed. In fact, about 70 percent of the land lost from the Amazon rainforest is now being used for these purposes. Surprisingly, animals also contribute to climate change. It is estimated that about 15 percent of all greenhouse gases are produced by livestock. In addition, raising animals can require up to ten times the amount of water needed to grow wheat. These water resources could be used much more efficiently, especially in areas where fresh water is limited.

[4]　Finally, many people choose to avoid eating meat because of how it affects human health and well-being. Raising livestock makes grain unaffordable to many people in poorer parts of the world, greatly contributing to the global hunger problem. Furthermore, mass-produced animal products often contain hormones and other chemical additives that may negatively affect our health. Such additives have been linked to higher rates of disease and to hormone imbalances, among other health problems.

[5]　It is clear that our eating habits are negatively affecting the world around us. However, it is unrealistic to expect people to suddenly change. Even if we don’t all become vegetarians, we can still take small steps to make our diets more socially responsible. We can, for example, try to eat more traditional Japanese meals that are mainly made up of vegetables and other non-meat products. Or we can change our diets to be more “flexitarian,” which means eating mostly plant-based foods with animal products only being eaten in moderation. At the very least, next time we go food shopping, we should think about more than our waistlines when considering what to buy.