I have talked ad infinitum about this topic on this podcast it seems, but the pandemic really exposed the breakdown of the meat supply chain. It also exposed the demand for better, locally sourced meat products. Since then, we've seen prices for meat products go up and up...but the general quality of industrially produced meats hasn't gotten any better.
On the flip side, meat has continued to be a topic of environmental debate. There's a widely held perception that ALL meat (and consequently, the production of it) is bad, for one reason or another. Which begs the question...
Is that true? Is ALL meat really bad?
In farming, there's a saying..."It's not the cow, it's the how."
I think most people do not believe that all meat is bad, but there are many who are actively trying to greatly reduce the production of meat and force people to become vegetarians (and adopt meat substitutes). Yet, despite the righteous indignation of those who feel compelled to tell people what to eat and control how people choose to live their lives, I found myself asking the question, can there be better meat?
I mean, I used to be vegan for at least a decade. Heck, I was a raw food chef for three years!
I admit now, that my body (and brain) probably wasn't getting enough protein. When I started eating meat again, it was only meat I raised or meat I saw being raised. Nothing else. But not everyone can do or wants to eat that way. Regardless, what I really wanted to unpack on this topic was the difference between perceived good and bad meats and why they are perceived that way.
What I learned is, meat cannot be compared apples to apples. Sure, both products might be a steak, or chop, but is one better than the other?
I know what I think about that...but you're grown.
Check out full episode here :
https://pod.co/food-slain/better-meat-is-there-such-a-thing
And grown folk get to decide what they want to eat for themselves.
You also get to suffer the consequences of those decisions. :)
When I think about THAT, I start asking questions like, what is grassfed, really? Is that a gimmick that companies use for marketing purposes to get consumers stoked about eating meat products that seem better but really aren't better than your average USDA prime? I start to think, can traceability really be achieved on the industrial side of meat production? Is grassfed or pastured meat nutritionally better? Environmentally better? Economically better? And for whom?
These are the types of rabbit holes I go down in almost every episode.
Sadly, the answers aren't easy. The industrialized meat industry in and of itself is really complex, and at the end of the day we all still have to eat. The questions are, are we eating good food? Is "good" relative? Are we eating healthy food? Is it good for farmers? For the environment? For our pockets?
There's no one answer, nor is there any one thing that is all good or all bad. There are many factors that play into how we come to those conclusions...and that is what this episode is about, with a focus on meat production, the narratives, the players and the products. Regardless of what the marketing tells you, I encourage you to make decisions, based on verifiable information, that deliver the outcomes you desire.
Anyhoo...thanks for listening and sharing this episode with someone you love...who eats meat. Until next time...Haapy New Year!
Chow,
Michele
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