Industrial meat - Let’s make the most of this change

AS CERTAINTIES crumble every day it may be asking a lot for us to consider, much less accept, that one of the everyday pleasures of Irish life has become a threat to the environment.

It is difficult to imagine that what we take for granted, that which sustains so many family businesses, is having a huge impact on climate change because of increased demand and new production methods.

Industrial meat production, especially in the Americas, has assumed unimaginable proportions and is having a negative impact on the environment, third world economies, human and animal health and the efficient use of protein. So much so that we in the West may all have to ask ourselves if we are entitled to consume as much meat — especially beef — as we do.