Meat boom is propelling Chinas eco-system towards collapse.

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Meat boom is propelling Chinas eco-system towards collapse.

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Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 15 9:12 pm Post subject: Meat boom is propelling Chinas eco-system towards collapse.
Meat boom is propelling Chinas eco-system towards collapse.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45515
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 15 11:52 pm Post subject:
im not sure if i see that as an eco nightmare or a sales oppertunity

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 15 7:40 am Post subject:
The UK did this sort of thing during the 19th century as far as industry, and to some extent as far as agriculture was concerned, but in those days we didn't have much in the way of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. We always hope that developing economies might learn from our mistakes, but sadly they don't seem to.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 15 10:47 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

We always hope that developing economies might learn from our mistakes, but sadly they don't seem to.

Well, as far as agriculture goes, they have recently imported our [the country, that is, not Rosewood] pigs and a lot of our technology.

The main issue is that we're continuing to make mistakes. The environmentalist lobby isn't really sending out a clear message as far as the effects of meat eating goes. On the one hand we have those advocating intensive pigs & chickens, because they have the highest feed conversion & lowest 'emissions', but then we say that's cruel, and they should live outside, which reduces the 'efficiency' and means we're using more land to grow the feed on.

So we get the cows out and put them in fields, but another set believes that they produce too much natural gas so we should have them indoors to make them more efficient, reduce the amount of gas they produce and collect what remains to replace fossil fuels (you should see some of the solar panels they have on intensive dairies in China - puts us to shame!)

But then you get the people who don't think we should use animals at all, as they're inherently inefficient and we should just use the grasses for biofuel and eat the grain. Meanwhile, the vast majority of rural people around the world that rely on their animals must then replace them with tractors, as there isn't enough vegan manpower to be had to grow the food.

Finally you have food waste, and we don't actually have to produce more to feed a growing population, we just have to make better use of what we produce already, say the people importing coconuts and almonds to replace the dairy protein we're throwing down the drain in the UK because we're producing too much...

As with any strategy, you need a clear goal to aim for but it's clear to see that noone has a clue what that is so we just keep going round in circles.

Farmers like me will either produce what people want, or go out of business, but all too often we hear that we're producing what people don't want, and using our immense power to manipulate the food markets.

At the end of the day, if the consumers of each country were just to eat what it produces, instead of saying no, we must eat less home-grown fresh food and more imported processed food becauses it's healthier, and we'll export what we no longer want to eat...

At least China is aiming to produce more of what it uses while we scoff at them, ironically, for wanting to be more like us.

Falstaff

Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 15 1:27 pm Post subject:
" ....Let them eat cake..."

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 15 7:54 am Post subject:

Several good points there Rob. One thing that is important is to eat what we produce, as you say. I followed someone through the checkout at the supermarket yesterday and she was buying fresh blueberries and raspberries. The also had fresh asparagus; from Peru. I must say I occasionally succumb to buying a sweet pepper in the middle of winter, but mainly try to buy locally produced stuff. Pity more people aren't aware of what is available seasonally.

As far as meat is concerned, it sounds as if you are doing the best for the environment that you can. I don't think the people that advocate putting animals in large indoor units or not eating meat consider that side of it at all.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 15 8:01 am Post subject:

I also try to eat seasonally and locally.
Tesco has apples flown in from the other side of the world. Ridiculous. Im finished my own apples but only because I turn most of them into cider. I still have plenty of frozen for pies etc.
Im starting to sell cider at the new Bodmin Produce Market which is starting on Friday March 13th. If I can buy my stuff from here Ill feel at least Im supporting local growers etc.
And of course, I need to grow more of my own...but I now have a young assistant working alongside us for a few hours to help.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 15 8:05 am Post subject:
Think probably most of us at least try to eat seasonally on this forum, but the 'general' part of the general public seem to be unaware of seasonality.

OtleyLad

Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 15 8:39 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

Think probably most of us at least try to eat seasonally on this forum, but the 'general' part of the general public seem to be unaware of seasonality.

The disconnect between how/where most food is grown and people's shopping habits is generally huge. I would bet that if you filmed say the veg section of any supermarket only a tiny proportion of shoppers would look for/consider the origin of the produce and putting it back if it came from too far away or was out of season.

But eating local produce is not easy either- you have to find it first. We have several 'farm shops' within a 10 mile radius of our house but most of their veg (sometimes all of it) is imported. To most people that would be buying local. Same goes for the weekly open markets here.

You might also want people to consider the environmental impact of transporting food half way round the world (not to mention the issue of employment/working conditions in the exporting countries).

Put all these together and you have a mountain to climb if you want to change people's shopping habits to something more sustainable.
Maybe a compulsory module in schools might do it.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 15 1:39 pm Post subject:

OtleyLad wrote:

But eating local produce is not easy either- you have to find it first.

Well I've just optimised the shopping cart on our website so that it works better on mobiles and adding more individual products, hopefully that should improve things a bit.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 15 7:37 am Post subject:

There are too many odd bits added to schooling these days, and still kids seem to manage to avoid knowing a lot of things, so not sure that is the way to go. Trouble is, so many people don't seem to think.

I had to go to our nearest supermarket the other day, and they had so many special offers and out of season veg, inluding the asparagus from Peru, none of which looked the least bit attractive to me, but then I am lucky in that I know how to bake my own stuff and realise that seasonal, local veg tastes so much better.

On the other hand, my MIL, who usually shops at Lidls, did get me to buy her a pigs head and trotters so she could make some brawn. Lidls of course don't do that sort of thing, so I bought it at the farm shop I get my meat from.

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