The meat trade has enjoyed this week, with people buying Easter lamb for a festive meal on Sunday. But many livestock farmers and butchers in the western world are becoming worried by a longer-term threat to their livelihood from the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets, accompanied by a small but an increasingly militant anti-meat movement. While carnivores can dismiss the most aggressive vegan campaigns as counterproductive bullying, we should consider seriously the multiple reasons that people give for stopping consumption of meat or, in the case of vegans, all animal products.
The case against meat falls into three broad areas: human health, animal welfare and the environment.
The easiest argument to counter is that eating meat is unhealthy. Our species has evolved over millions of years to be omnivorous. Nothing is healthier than a varied diet, including plenty of fibre, vegetable, fruit and a moderate amount of meat.