This debate is gonna get a lil’ messy. Via
I grew up in a meat-loving family, but loved to rebel. When I told my parents I wanted to go vegan, the general consensus was, “We’ll see how long that lasts.” To be honest, they were right to be skeptical. It’s hard to go completely cold turkey when you’ve been raised on a fully omnivorous diet, as Jessica Glenza attests to in their article for The Gaurdian, “Inside the impossible burger: is the eat-free mega trend as good as we think?” I am here to say, as a former vegan, no. It is not even close to as good as we think.I won’t lie to the public. I am well aware of how unethical eating chow is for so many reasons. Agriculture and farming heavily contribute to greenhouse gases and ocean dead zones caused by industrial farming waste, reports Glenza. However, when I went vegan, I watched a documentary called Cowspiracy (2014) co-directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, which also questions and criticizes the sustainability of industrial farming. You can find the documentary here.
Despite many of their similarities, the two sides of the meat industry have been at war. Many farmers claim cell-based meat shouldn’t be labeled as meat, insisting that true meat is “harvested in the traditional manner.” Thus, the debate began. Cell-based supporters offer up “clean meat,” and country boys argue that implies their meat is “dirty.”
The Debate Between Regulated Cell-Cultured And Traditional Meat
The debate continues over whether the FDA should regulate cell-cultured aliment as unique products or the USDA as traditional meat. Here is how I side in this heated debate. If cell-based meats become more eco-friendly and ethical, I’ll support them. Until then, I’ll feel guilty eating a Big Mac. Despite many of their similarities, the two sides of the meat industry have been at war. Many farmers have argued that cell-based meat should not even be able to call itself chow, defining fare as something “harvested in the traditional manner.” Thus, the debate began. Cell-based supporters offer up “clean meat,” and country boys argue that that implies their meat is “dirty.” The debate continues: should cell-cultured meat be regulated by the FDA for unique products or the USDA for traditional meat? Here is how I side in this heated debate.
Its all pretty damn bad.
We don’t have enough statistics to prove that cell-based farming is going to make enough of a difference environmentally. I don’t think we should discredit the research, but if you’re looking to feel a little less guilty when you eat a hamburger, this isn’t the solution. Cell-based meat is taking a hands-clean approach to slaughter, allowing someone else to do the dirty work, and have them reap the benefits. Whether its from the guilt or the cholesterol, we’ll never know (I know) ((it’s the cholesterol)).
Here are some tips for those who are looking to switch to a vegan diet and lifestyle.
