Yes even though I AM vegan I still think that PETA is propaganda and is very extreme. Even though most of the stuff they post on their website is true, they to very extreme measures to tell people about it. Now that I got that over with it is true that industrial farming does destroy our agriculture. 85 percent of the world's soy goes to feed farm animals. Forests are cut down to create these farms. This is a very short post but for a good reason, I want to hear what you guys have to say about this topic. Also I'm NOT saying that you should change your eating diets. So please don't say "Another vegan tying to make me into one" or some asinine comment like that. Thanks :D
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
Serious Industrial Farming
- Thread starter Dandatpenguin
- Start date
Truth be told, due to what I've been reading about the less-than-ethical practices of factory farming (see: Smithfield), I've been giving strong consideration to at least become a veggie. Problem is, I'm somewhat addicted to meat. It's a hard habit to break, and the same is true for a number of people, even those with no wishes to cross over who just need to eat a little less. I think life in general would work out so much better if we decided to at least consume less meat. Factory farming industries operate at such a massive scale, wasting a ton of meat that not only doesn't measure up to standards, but after it hits grocery store shelves (compounded with the bullshit idea that goes through management's collective heads that empty shelves that aren't continuously having to be restocked means nothing is selling). To that end, however, I think that the tremendous scale that factory farms operates is just another symptom of a greed-driven economy.
The way I see it, its the way the meat gets to your plate that's the problem not eating the meat itself. If we eat meat that was grown on a farm that were able to live in peace and then eventually die for people to eat them, then I would eat meat on an occasion. But the simple fact that people decide not to do anything about this, such as making a simple decision to buy organic rather than name brand (Tyson, Kentucky Fried Cruelty) is somewhat shameful so the human race.
Monoculture, and the incredibly high levels of synthesised fertilisers required to sustain production, is not a particularly future proof method of farming, given they require resources we're using up much faster than they can be replenished.
Industrial farming feeds literally billions of people.
Farming animals is a huge waste of agricultural resources (land, water, grain). The problem is that PETA sensationalizes a real issue and it becomes a joke.
Yes while industrial farming does feed billions of people that still doesn't deny the fact that it is destroying the Earth that we live on. I could careless what big corporations do to make money, but when they start affecting my life, and the lives of others including animals, then I have a problem. And there are other sufficient and cogent ways to feed all of these people eliminating industrial farming would actually feed all of those people. Most of our vegetation goes to feed these animals anyways. If we stop feeding these animals then we'll be able to put those farms to good use, as it's easier to grow organic vegetable and fruit than it is to raise, feed, and then kill animals. I suggest you read this for a better understanding https://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/factory_farming/eating_the_planet.aspx
But then I wouldn't have all the yummy beef/chicken/etc I could eat, which tastes better than your organic shit. Toss your salad elsewhere.
Whilst I think it's difficult for most people to become vegans, I think reducing the amount of meat we eat can have large impact. Think about how we are eating more meat than the food pyramid suggests. We are probably eating twice of that per meal? For our health, we can reduce that, and then eat more greens so that it could change the demand from industrial farming.
I'm glad my point has not gotten across to the uninformed cretins that lurk these forums. Apparently you don't know that organic isn't only edible plants. This is the Wikipedia definition of "organic food" Organic foods are produced using methods of organic farming – with limited modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, though organic pesticides, such as Bt toxin, are still used. Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives. This definition is not only pertaining to plants but also meat. I like I said I could careless about you eat, but when your actions start affecting the lives of others then I have a problem. Go pickup a book and learn something about this topic.
Or you could eat other alternatives such as nuts, beans, soy, supplement bars and more.
The food pyramid is no longer supported, look here for the current model: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/
Is it discredited or what? Or that the US government just wanted something else that was trendy? How many countries have converted to this model?
(Sometimes some things only apply to US and the others refuse to change. Good example is, US currently groups Asperger's syndrome with other autism and apparently stopped using the word Asperger's. However, the EU is not following this naming system, thank god.)
Here in Hong Kong it's still about food pyramid.
I don't like the USA's food recommendations, since it's written not by the government's health department, but by the agricultural one. I wouldn't put my health in the hands of the ones who are directly trying to seek a profit from what I eat, whether it was beef farmers or berry farmers; don't you think they'd be just a tad biased based on what can earn them the most cash in the long run?
I don't know what could objectively be considered the "Best" one, but Health Canada made this one [warning, PDF] if you're interested:
http://www.has.uwo.ca/hospitality/nutrition/pdf/foodguide.pdf
I don't know what could objectively be considered the "Best" one, but Health Canada made this one [warning, PDF] if you're interested:
http://www.has.uwo.ca/hospitality/nutrition/pdf/foodguide.pdf
Wow, then I totally don't see how I'm going to follow that new model instead of the Food Pyramid which is followed by nearly every country I've been to.
Brief research:
Food Pyramid-- 25 countries.
MyPlate -- ONE single country.
Obvious.
Last edited:
Canada's least still groups them similarly on the list to remember them if necessary; top to bottom, fruits/veggies [US makes distinction, Canada does not, not sure how I feel about that], grains, calcium-heavy products, protein-heavy products. I'm not sure what the problem with the pyramid was and why they decided to change it; I think it was because it was too generalizing and lumped too much stuff together or something, or they just want to distance themselves from older information that was laid out similarly and found to be suboptimal/outright false. Could just be trying to shake things up a bit, too. I personally think that CFG's purdy rainbow looks spiffy, and CMP is alright. Harvard also uses a form of it.
Dandatpenguin as I understand it, due to the dairy industry getting a lot of profit due to the sheer ubiquity ["necessity"] of dairy products and the success of the milk-promoting campaigns [Got Milk? in particular], it's pushed more by the government to get more mooniez. Canada's food guide makes it fairly clear that there are viable alternatives [it be cool if they expanded on soy, though, and added maybe almond milk or something, simply due to the misconceptions about soy as a whole].
[almond milk a shit without flavour though, real talk]
Dandatpenguin as I understand it, due to the dairy industry getting a lot of profit due to the sheer ubiquity ["necessity"] of dairy products and the success of the milk-promoting campaigns [Got Milk? in particular], it's pushed more by the government to get more mooniez. Canada's food guide makes it fairly clear that there are viable alternatives [it be cool if they expanded on soy, though, and added maybe almond milk or something, simply due to the misconceptions about soy as a whole].
[almond milk a shit without flavour though, real talk]
Difference between fruits and veggies are of their fibre content and vitamins, as well as enzymes from fruits because you don't cook fruits.
Veggies have a lot more fibre, but less vitamins and enzymes because you cook them and they get destroyed.
No one needs milk to survive. Seriously, no one. Pretty much 90% Asians (I mean those living in Asia) don't drink any milk after they are weaned, and none eat cheese on a regular basis. And the surprising truth is, osteoporosis is actually rarer in Asian countries.
So no, milk doesn't help. The Got Milk campaigns were profit based.
Milk is not a good way to get calcium at all.
Everyone used to think the Sun revolved around Earth too, quit being an ass.
The food pyramid was eliminated in the US because it doesn't really reach people. Envisioning your average meal in pyramid form just doesn't really work, whereas MyPlate is supposed to amend this. MyPlate isn't great either, but visually it makes so much more sense than the food pyramid ever did.
The fact that agriculture distorts dietary facts is just part of the US. Industrial farming of corn burns through fertilizers at an unsustainable rate and creates dead zones in the gulf of Mexico. In addition, corn is fed to cattle instead of their usual diet of grasses. This causes the beef we eat to be more calorie-rich, as well as providing a less balanced fatty acid profile. Corn is also put into everything we eat here, whether it's ice cream, chicken nuggets, or other unrelated foods ((high fructose) corn syrup anyone?). Having so much corn lowers the price of corn, making people buy less of other fruits and veggies, therefore driving the price of those fruits and veggies up.
Going back to MyPlate, grains and meat end up taking up half the plate, where fruits and veggies should be taking up nearly 80% if not more. Adding dairy on the side is just another plug for the agriculture industry, despite the health risks that are ignored in the process.
The US spends the most on health care for a reason, our diet is awful.
If anyone wants to make a nutrition thread I could go for days...
Well... strictly speaking, countries nowadays have a standard when it comes to what gets accepted and what not, it's not quite the same thing as individual people.
Oh... corns. I hope they could quit planting so many corns and convert the land into planting something else, it's driving the industrial farming a lot worse. They don't earn enough, and the cows aren't eating healthy.
Unless their land is being limited by the Mon Santo special seeds.
Maybe grow some hay for the cows or horses, though it doesn't sound profitable.
Ya, why not start a thread on nutrition. :D
Even with the BIO certificate in the EU there are problems that need to be overcome while going back to sustainable farming.
But there is no denying that a slowly and peacefully grown animal gives much tastier meat and the same is true for vegetables and fruits. I´m sick of strawberries that taste like sweet water!
The dimension that industrial farming has reached over the last 50 years is really sick(you can take that literally).
It should not be argued that this development has helped to lessen the hunger in poor countries, because it didn´t!
But there is no denying that a slowly and peacefully grown animal gives much tastier meat and the same is true for vegetables and fruits. I´m sick of strawberries that taste like sweet water!
The dimension that industrial farming has reached over the last 50 years is really sick(you can take that literally).
It should not be argued that this development has helped to lessen the hunger in poor countries, because it didn´t!
Actually in america, organic label on food is a lie most of the time. There is no government regulation so usually organic food is just an excuse to charge you more money.
A dick move, to be sure. Pay more for unaltered, unprocessed foods (or so is claimed), and pay less for food-like substances that have undergone intense processing. Seems a bit ass-backwards.
Here's a nutrition thread I've started http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/nutrition-a-corrupt-governments-favorite-topic.3502430/
I couldn't care less what the drawbacks are. It is not possible to feed the world that we have right now, with the desires we have right now using your hippie organic, free range, vaccine free, hydroponic bull crap. It is not an option. Only industrial farming can meet that demand.
I think industrial farming is a sign of human assholeness. We seem to forget that we are not the only important ones. I only buy free-range meat and eggs (apart from takeaway)