LactoVegetarians Vegans abstain from consuming animal products of any type (including fish and poultry). By products of animal cruelty such as eggs, dairy, honey and gelatin are also excluded from their diets. Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture Vegans Pescetarians consume dairy products, eggs and fish however keep away from any other type of meat. Many categorize pescetarians as semivegetarians. Pescetarians A lactovegetarian diet prevents people from eating meat and eggs however they do still eat dairy. Why do people become vegetarian? Evaluate the causes and consequences of vegetarianism compared to a meatbased diet. What is a vegetarian? Vegetarians are people who choose not to eat meat of any sort (red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal). Vegans, and an increasing number of vegetarians, also avoid wearing or using products derived from animals or that may have involved cruelty to animals: so no leather, wool, silk, bees wax, soap, beauty and household products that contain animal products or have been tested on animals. Different people follow different forms of vegetarianism. A common vegetarian (lactoovovegetarian) eats no meat at all, including chicken and fish, however they do consume dairy products. On the right is list of some of the other various different forms of vegetarian diets. Some macrobiotic diets fall into the vegan category. Macrobiotic diets restrict not only animal products but also refined and processed foods, foods with preservatives, and foods that contain caffeine or other stimulants. OvoVegetarians Fruitarian is an uncommon from of vegetarian, strictly based on fruits. Fruitarians JainVegetarians An ovovegetarian refrains from meat and dairy, however still eats eggs. Jain vegetarianism is a diet practiced by the Jain religion. They eat dairy products however their diet excludes eggs, meat and all foods grown underground (root vegetables), like onions and carrots. Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, along with concern over animal rights. Some religions that practice vegetarianism include Hinduism and Buddhism. For much of the world, vegetarianism is largely a matter of economics: Meat costs a lot more than, say, beans or rice, so meat becomes a specialoccasion dish (if it's eaten at all). Even where meat is more plentiful, it's still used in moderation. Many choose to go vegetarian, as it is much better for the environment. Other motivations for vegetarianism are healthrelated, political, cultural, aesthetic, family preference etc. The chart above shows the most common reasons for vegetarianism is that animal cruelty is unethical and immoral.
Transcript
Lacto-‐Vegetarians
Vegans abstain from consuming animal products of any type (including fish and poultry). By-‐products of animal cruelty such as eggs, dairy, honey and gelatin are also excluded from their diets.
Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture
Vegans
Pescetarians consume dairy products, eggs and fish however keep away from any other type of meat. Many categorize pescetarians as semi-‐vegetarians.
Pescetarians
A lacto-‐vegetarian diet prevents people from eating meat and eggs however they do still eat dairy.
Why do people become vegetarian?
Evaluate the causes and consequences of vegetarianism compared to a meat-‐based diet.
What is a vegetarian? Vegetarians are people who choose not to eat meat of any sort (red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal). Vegans, and an increasing number of vegetarians, also avoid wearing or using products derived from animals or that may have involved cruelty to animals: so no leather, wool, silk, bees wax, soap, beauty and household products that contain animal products or have been tested on animals.
Different people follow different forms of vegetarianism. A common vegetarian (lacto-‐ovo-‐vegetarian) eats no meat at all, including chicken and fish, however they do consume dairy products. On the right is list of some of the other various different forms of vegetarian diets. Some macrobiotic diets fall into the vegan category. Macrobiotic diets restrict not only animal products but also refined and processed foods, foods with preservatives, and foods that contain caffeine or other stimulants.
Ovo-‐Vegetarians
Fruitarian is an uncommon from of vegetarian, strictly based on fruits.
Fruitarians
Jain-‐Vegetarians
An ovo-‐vegetarian refrains from meat and dairy, however still eats eggs.
Jain vegetarianism is a diet practiced by the Jain religion. They eat dairy products however their diet excludes eggs, meat and all foods grown underground (root-‐vegetables), like onions and carrots.
Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, along with concern over animal rights. Some religions that practice vegetarianism include Hinduism and Buddhism. For much of the world, vegetarianism is largely a matter of economics: Meat costs a lot more than, say, beans or rice, so meat becomes a special-‐occasion dish (if it's eaten at all). Even where meat is more plentiful, it's still used in moderation. Many choose to go vegetarian, as it is much better for the environment. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-‐related, political, cultural, aesthetic, family preference etc. The chart above shows the most common reasons for vegetarianism is that animal cruelty is unethical and immoral.
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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet
What effect does vegetarianism have on the environment?
Reduces Air Pollution According to the United Nations, a global shift toward a vegan diet is one of the steps necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. Aside from greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, cows and pigs produce many other polluting gases. Nearly two thirds of the manmade ammonia – a major contributor to acid rain – is also generated by livestock. In addition, concentrated factory farming of animals contributes to ozone pollution. Producing 2 pounds of beef causes more greenhouse-‐gas emissions than driving a car for three hours and uses up more energy than leaving your house lights on for the same period of time. Factory farms also produce vast amounts of dust and other contaminates that pollute the air. Dust produced in animal feedlots contain biologically active organisms such as bacteria, mold, and fungi from the feces and the feed. And when the cesspools holding tons of urine and feces get full, factory farms may circumvent water pollution limits by spraying liquid manure into the air, creating mists that are carried away by the wind and inhaled by nearby residents.
Reduces Water Pollution A cow excretes around 40kg of manure for every kilogram of edible beef it puts on and when you have many thousands crowded into a small area the effect can be dramatic. Their manure and urine is funneled into massive waste lagoons sometimes holding as many as 40m gallons. These cesspools often break, leak or overflow, polluting underground water supplies and rivers with nitrogen, phosphorus and nitrates.
Most summers between 13,000-‐20,000 sq. km of sea at the mouth of the Mississippi become a "dead zone", caused when vast quantities of excess nutrients from animal waste, factory farms, sewage, nitrogen compounds and fertilizer are swept down the mighty river. This causes algal blooms, which take up all the oxygen in the water to the point where little can live.
Nearly 400 dead zones ranging in size from one to over 70,000sq km have now been identified, from the Scandinavian fjords to the South China Sea. Animal farming is not the only cause for this, but it is one of the worst.
Reduces Deforestation Another natural resource that is being threatened today by the increased production of livestock is the rainforest. According to the Nature Conservancy, every second of every day one football field of rainforest is being destroyed. Much of this forestland is being cut down to farm and raise livestock, which is then exported to the U.S. and ends up in fast-‐food hamburgers. According to the Rainforest Action Network, 55 square feet of tropical rainforest are destroyed to make every fast-‐food hamburger made from rainforest cattle. This is an area about the size of a small kitchen and it is gone forever each time one of these hamburgers is eaten. It is even worse because with each square foot of rainforest gone, up to 30 different plant species, 100 different insect species and dozens of bird, mammal and reptile species are destroyed. The rainforests are so important because half of the species on earth live in them and the forests are vital to the world’s oxygen supply.
As you can see from the graph, meat produces the most carbon dioxide of all foods.
Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture
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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet
The map on the right shows that vegetarianism in most common in India. This is due to the fact that most Indians believe in Hinduism, which is a religion where consuming animals is immoral. The USA is also very rich in vegetarians however their reasons are mostly health related and to prevent animal slaughter. Africa is an entire continent, where vegetarianism is least common. Africa is still developing and for most people food is a scarce resource. They often do not have a choice of what to eat.
Reduces consumptions of vital resources The production of beef and other animal protein consumes huge amounts of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels and topsoil, while polluting our water and air.
One of the biggest environmental impacts of a meat-‐eating diet is the depletion of natural resources, particularly the consumption of vast amounts of water for livestock production. Today, there are more than 17 billion livestock in the world; that’s about triple the number of people. Raising these animals requires huge amounts of water, most of it used to irrigate the grains and hay fed to the animals. According to the Water Education Foundation, it takes 2,464 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef in California. This is the same amount of water you would use if you took a seven-‐minute shower every day for six entire months. In contrast, only 25 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of wheat. Present human water consumption drains aquifers around the world. Water tables are dropping drastically and wells are going dry. The United States Geological Survey says that 40% of fresh water used in the U.S. in 2000 went to irrigate feed crops for livestock. Only 13% was used for domestic purposes including showers, flushing toilets, washing cars and watering lawns. Switching to a plant-‐based diet or reducing the amount of meat in your diet is by far the most important choice you can make to save water.
Raising livestock depletes other natural resources as well, including fossil fuels and topsoil. Aside from the cost of grains used to feed livestock you can also measure the cost of fossil fuel energy. Agricultural production uses ten percent of the energy used every year in the United States. Roughly 40 calories of fossil fuel are needed to produce one calorie of protein from feedlot beef while only 2 calories of fossil fuel are needed to produce one calorie of protein from tofu.
Topsoil is another vital natural resource being used faster than nature can replace it. The production of corn and soybeans, the grains fed to livestock, causes massive soil erosion because those crops are grown in rows. The bare patches between the rows expose the topsoil to both wind and rain erosion. It is estimated that we lose nearly 7 billion tons of topsoil every year.
Where in the world is vegetarianism most common?
Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture
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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet
Positive
A plant-‐based diet supplies larger quantities of certain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, as are some of the essential fatty acids. Focusing on the plant kingdom for food naturally aids vegetarians in cutting a lot of sugar out of their diet.
Reduces chances of developing kidney stones. Diets high in animal protein cause the body to excrete calcium, oxalate, and uric acid—the main components of kidney stones and gallstones. A diet high in animal protein is responsible for the high rates (15% of men and 7% of women) of kidney stones in the United States. Healthier bones. Meat has high renal acid levels, which the body must neutralize by leaching calcium from the bones, which is then passed into urine and lost. There are many sources of healthy vegetarian calcium including tofu, dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collard greens, as well as fortified cereals. Lower risk of heart disease. Vegetarians have a 24% lower mortality from heart disease than meat eaters. A vegetarian diet also helps lower blood pressure, prevent hypertension, and thus reduce the risk of stroke. Meat increases risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating meat increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes in women and men. A vegetarian diet rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and soy proteins helps to improve glycemic control in people who already have diabetes. A vegetarian diet delivers complete nutrition and can provide health benefits. A vegetarian diet can meet protein requirements, provide all the essential amino-‐acids (the building blocks of protein), and improve health. It can also provide all the necessary vitamins, fats, and minerals, and can improve one’s health.
Negative
Meat is the best source of protein. In one serving, meat provides all the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), as well as essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Most plant foods do not provide adequate levels of all the essential amino acids in a single serving. Meat is beneficial to immune and nervous systems. Saturated fats contain the fat-‐soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and the cholesterol from saturated animal fat is needed for the proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Vegetarians suffer significantly more often from anxiety disorder and/or depression. Low cholesterol levels have been linked to depression. Saturated fats are also essential for building and maintaining cell health, and help the body absorb calcium. Meat is the best source of vitamin B12. Although it is also found in eggs and dairy, a peer-‐reviewed July 2003 study showed two in three vegetarians were vitamin B12 deficient compared to one in 20 meat eaters. Meat helps with weight loss. It takes fewer calories to get protein from lean meat than it does from vegetarian options. One serving of lean beef (3 oz.) contains as much protein as one serving of beans (1½ cups) or a veggie burger. However, the lean beef has half the calories of beans (180 vs. 374), and 50%-‐75% fewer calories than the veggie burger. Fish provides the body with essential omega-‐3 fatty acids. Fish are a powerful source of the omega-‐3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are important for brain function, lowering triglycerides, and reducing the risk of death from heart attacks and strokes. Although the omega-‐3 fatty acid ALA can be found in plant oils, the ALA must first be converted by the body into the essential EPA and DHA. The process is inefficient and may not provide the same cardiovascular benefits as eating fish.
How does Vegetarianism affect your health? Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture
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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet
Vegetarianism and Me:
I have been a vegetarian all my life. Since childhood I have been raised not to eat meat as it was both a preference and a religious belief for my family. I personally also think that cruelty towards animals for food is unethical.
Although I am from India, a place where vegetarianism is so common, I live in Hong Kong. It’s very different here as almost everyone follows a meat-‐based diet, however over the past few years this has been changing. This was a very fascinating topic for me to research as I was always vegetarian but I had never thought of its benefits and what effect this has on the environment and me. I believe that vegetarianism is definitely the better option as it contributes to solving so many issues and is beneficial in many ways. Not only does it reduce green house gasses and is good for the environment; it is also great for your health.
The Hong Kong Vegfest is an annual festival that exhibits healthy living and eco-‐friendly entities. It is run by volunteers and promotes vegetarianism by education people of its health benefits.
Currently only 2% of the people living in Hong Kong follow a vegetarian diet, however this number is slowly increasing. Traditional Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong does not provide many vegetarian options with items like pig’s blood, chicken’s feet and shark fin on the menu. Buddhist dining establishments have always been around in Hong Kong and offer vegetarian options however they are quite unvaried. Events such as the Hong Kong VegFest and movements like Meat Free Mondays, are helping to raise awareness of the health benefits of vegetarianism and are slowly winning people over. Over the past 5 years there has also been an increase in the number of Vegan/Vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is also home to many organic farms. The founder of the Hong Kong vegan society says “I believe we need to make an informed choice about the food that we put in our bodies, and to eat like it matters,” “People have a lot of misconceptions about vegetarianism, like that you need to take supplements to have a well-‐balanced diet,”
Most vegetarians in Hong Kong have chosen this lifestyle to become healthier and also to avoid animal cruelty.
Vegetarianism in Hong Kong
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BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alsha Patel s16522 Food, Water and Agriculture
