9 Ways to Eat Meat More Sustainably
In March 2021, Seaspiracy—a Netflix-backed documentary about the global fishing industry—jumped to the platform’s top 10 most popular films worldwide. Its striking and direct exploration of the corruption, forced labor, and deadly environmental impact of fishing practices is troubling, to say the least.
To be fair, the documentary has gathered plenty of criticism from journalists, marine scientists, environmental organizations, and (no surprise here) the seafood industry. They often cite privilege and western-centric ideals, out-of-context interviews, misleading statistics, and sensationalist journalism as serious faults of director and narrator Ali Tabrizi.
But even the critics tend to agree on one thing: Our oceans—and therefore the rest of the planet—are in trouble, and we need to do something about it.
Tabrizi’s position is clear: Veganism is the only sustainable and ethical way to eat. Critics, though, point out that it’s not reasonable for every human to ditch the meat and dairy. But it got us thinking…
How might a more plant-based diet help the planet?
Meat and dairy companies are on track to become the world’s largest climate change contributor. That means in addition to conserving water, composting, and taking public transportation, eating more plant-based foods can help our environment.
If we were to reduce our consumption of animal products:
More grain could be used to feed people instead of animals, improving world hunger.
Greenhouse gas emissions would decrease, directly improving our climate.
Water consumption would be reduced, allowing access to more and better-quality H2O.
Agricultural land use would be minimized, leaving more room for nature to do its thing.
Less waste would be produced, keeping our planet healthier.
We know change is hard, especially when it comes to shedding the shellfish and sharp cheddar. That’s why we’re taking this whole sustainability thing one small step at a time.
We promise we aren’t asking anyone to leave the burgers and bacon completely off the menu (‘cause we sure aren’t!). We just want to offer us all a bunch of ways to make our meat consumption a little more sustainable.
Tips for Sustainable Meat Consumption
#1 Prepare your wallet.
Sometimes adjusting our perspective is the first shift required to make any major change in our lives. So here’s the thing: Eating more sustainably—getting our food in the most efficient way while minimizing the environmental impact—will undoubtedly affect our wallets. But, in turn, we might save money on healthcare by eating a generally healthier diet! We’re also saving the planet, which is arguably invaluable.
We know it’s tough to justify the more expensive options at the grocery store. It can help to remind ourselves what we’re really paying for!
#2 Leave red meat on the shelf.
Pork and chicken have much lower greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein than beef and lamb. Pork production leaves behind about half the carbon dioxide as beef. Chicken leaves behind about a fourth!
#3 Choose seafood wisely.
From an emissions perspective, not all seafood is created equal. Mussels have a carbon footprint 20-times smaller than chicken and 50-times smaller than beef. Oysters, scallops, and sea snails are other good options.
Crustaceans—lobster, crab, and shrimp specifically—have the worst environmental impact of all seafood. (That doesn’t mean we should never, ever, ever indulge in them. We just need to be a bit more mindful, that’s all.)
#4 Buy pasture raised meat.
Industrially raised animals are kept in barns and cages, and they’re typically fed grain that’s not in their natural diet. Pasture-raised animals, by contrast, spend time eating vegetation and living generally unconfined in an open pasture, allowing them to exist as naturally as possible.
While eating happy, healthy livestock feels generally more ethical on its own, it’s soooooo much better for our environment than industrially raised livestock. Farmers who pasture-raise use better waste management techniques that keep our air and water cleaner. Pasture-raised cattle also…umm…do their business in the pastures, which keeps the natural ecosystem thriving.
#5 Buy local.
Buying local anything reduces the energy needed to transport goods to our city. By buying from local farmers or ranchers, we’re not only stimulating the local economy; we’re also saving the planet! Check out Denver’s farmers markets here.
#6 Try Meatless Mondays.
Many experts report that eating less meat is the best way to reduce your environmental impact. But we don’t have to quit turkey cold turkey (heh)! We can try adding a once-a-week, meat-free day to our calendar. Or making one meal every day animal-product free! Taking these small steps can still have a big impact.
#7 Use meat for flavor, not for sustenance.
To reduce our meat consumption, try using animal products for flavor instead of as the star of the dinner table.
Use these tips to decrease the meat while keeping the flavor:
Use ham hocks or bacon to flavor soups, stews, and beans.
Incorporate bits of bacon or sausage to flavor your favorite pasta recipes.
Try small chunks of chicken or sausage on salad.
Blend beef and mushrooms for a heartier, more Earth-friendly burger.
#8 Avoid fish caught by trawling.
Trawling is the practice of dragging fishing nets across the ocean floor to catch fish and other sea life. Not only does it destroy the natural ocean environment by disrupting the floor’s intricate and delicate architecture, but it also emits about three times as much emissions as fish caught by traditional methods.
The best way to find non-trawled fish? Talk with local fishers and fishmongers. They’ll be able to explain how the fish were caught and where they came from.
#9 Be mindful of where your plant-based foods come from!
Veganism isn’t a one-size-fits-all, totally fool-proof remedy to climate change. For example, air-transported fruits and vegetables can create more greenhouse gas emissions than poultry!
Try these tips to avoid trading one environmental no-no for another:
Avoid produce grown with artificial fertilizers, which emit plenty of CO2.
Buy local produce, decreasing the food miles needed to get from farm to table.
Limit your avocado, cacao, almond, and cashew consumption — all of which require enormous amounts of land and water to grow.
At the end of the day, we’re all in this together!
We believe we’re better together. From tackling climate change to finding the right place to call home, we want to partner with you! Book a Discovery Meeting today to chat about your real estate goals—or anything else, really. We’d just love to hang out!
Want to chat more? Book a Discovery Meeting and let us know what’s on your mind.
