Health complications, environmental problems, ethical challenges—all these and more can be results of a diet rich in meat, dairy, and eggs. What to do? Free-lance journalist Brian Kateman recommends reducing consumption, and he explains his proposal in this July 2016 Washington Post article.
Read it here: Kateman, “’We can save the earth without giving up bacon. Here’s how.”
- How does Kateman propose to reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products in the US? Summarize his main points. Are his arguments persuasive? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.
- Kateman calls his movement “reducetarianism,” a word newly coined for the purpose of the campaign. Regardless of whether you support its goals, what do you think of the name? Is it descriptive? catchy? effective? Do you think the name will help attract supporters and advance the goals of the movement? Why or why not?
- Kateman doesn’t mention bacon in his essay, but the Washington Post headline and the image that accompanies the article give prominence to that food. Why might the editors have chosen bacon over other iconic meat items such as steak or hamburger? Might your attitude toward the article have been different if the editors had chosen to present a different meat? A non-meat food like brownies or potato salad? Use your imagination to explore the effects of the bacon on the way you read the article.
- Read (or re-read) Michael Pollan’s essay in Chapter 18 of your text. Given what Pollan argues in his essay, do you think he would support Kateman’s reducetarian campaign? Why or why not? Kateman doesn’t cite Pollan in his essay, but if he did, what passage do you think he might choose? Why? Would a quotation from Pollan strengthen or weaken Kateman’s argument? Why do you think so?
- Kateman promotes the consumption of lab-cultured meat and other “nature-identical” meat options as attractive alternatives to genuine meat products. Some, of course, are still in the development stage, but others are available in supermarkets and restaurants today. How viable do you think these alternatives are? Why? What has been your and your family’s experience with these alternatives? Evaluate Kateman’s proposal as it applies to you and the people with whom you most frequently share meals. Is reducetarianism a good plan? Why or why not? Write an essay using Kateman as your They Say and your own experience as the evidence for your argument.
They Say I Blog 
(5) The discussion on lab meats made by Kateman that “cultured meat sidesteps the negative externalities of the traditional meat production system” is innovative. Kateman is suggesting that growing meat in a lab, as opposed to raising cows in an industrial plant, will have positive effects on the environment. However, Kateman does not acknowledge the drastic effects lab cultured meats would have on the human body and developement. If processed foods that you would find in the frozen food isle of the grocery store have proven to be one of the leading causes of an unhealthy American diet, would bypassing the natural source of food be any different? Although Kateman might object that cultured meats were not the focus of the essay, and therefore has less detail, I find it of the utmost importance that the negatives of the science food be spoken of along with the positives. If we do not acknowledge both sides of the issue than we could find ourselves with another problem.
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Hi,
The issues about eating are huge in the US. I find it odd that many folks in the world are starving, while we grapple with overweight problems here in America. There is no simple solution. Healthy food choices and exercise help, but these choices take both time, effort and money. Sad situation all round Dr. W.
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Based on the article in my opinion there reasoning for reducing meat consumption may not be successful. The meat today is one main source of protein that we need. They are not trying to make us quit eating meat period like vegans or vegetarians, they just want to reduce the amount of animals being eaten. To do this they have created the a community called reducetarianism, to help them promote there issue. This encourages people to eat less meat, but is it helping? Based on what I have read this doesn’t encourage me to stop. The way I eat is based on my decisions and I think that we should all make our own choices based on what we want to consume.
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As a vegetarian I agree with what Kateman that eaters should cut back on meat. It is well known that the amount of meat humans consume is unhealthy. Also, Kateman is emphasizing cutting back on meat not cutting it off, which would still allow eaters to get their protein from meat.Which,is something that eaters often chastise vegans and vegetarians about. Kateman did not really include any counterarguments in this piece which is why it defiantly left a lot of readers curious about the amount of protein found in “cultured meat”, which I’m sure is why Jessica found his argument to be unconvincing. Although I do agree we should cut down on meat, I am not sure I agree with the idea of growing meat in labs. I think what Heather said about how cultured meat is most likely going to be bad for the human body is very true.Based on past experiences, when scientist decide to alter food in a lab, the result are usually bad for human health. One huge argument against the meat industry is that they alter the animals so they are full of hormones. This is not good for humans, so I do not see how growing meat is any better? Maybe I am misunderstanding Kateman, but he does not really describe the process at all, he just says that it is better for the environment. I can see why Jessica and others found this article unconvincing because Kateman began by talking about why we should cut back on meat, then went right into cultured foods which he did not explain at all. I think the only reason I agree with him is because I have previous knowledge on the topic going into reading the article, but I am not sure I would feel the same way if I simple just read this article.
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Brian Kateman defines “reducitarianism” as the act of reducing the amount of meat we consume without completely getting rid of it in our diets. The responses to this article seem to be split between support and criticism without a clear consensus as to what a majority opinion is. On one hand a vegetarian/vegan approach prefers this method for everyone who partakes in eating meat, as it greatly reduces animal death and consumption. The other argues against that, claiming that meat is a healthy part of the human diet in which we obtain necessary nutrients from. Kateman makes a proposal at lab grown meat, which is odd, due to the fact that this opinion would literally put the general health and supplemental nutrients of humans below that of the lives of animals. Personally, I believe that meat is a necessary part of the human diet, and for me at least it is necessary for consumption of nutrients. I know several vegetarians and vegans who provide these nutrients in different ways which I believe is perfectly acceptable, so long as the necessary nutrients that usually comes from meat is acquired in a different way.
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Read this. Its ok. Nothing especially interesting.
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I think that the effort to reduce the amount of meat that we are consuming is valid and needed in our current society. I agree with Kateman that this will probably come in small doses, as opposed to one large change all at once, and that will help everyone get used to the new lifestyle and let the economy adjust. I find Dsobers’s response very thought provoking because I didn’t think about the implications when I first read the article- I never considered that this change to plant-based protein at the potential expense of our own health means that we are placing a higher value on animal’s lives than our own. While I don’t necessarily agree with this statement because there are other ways to gain these essential nutrients, I admit that I never considered this view point before.
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Following my reading of Brian Kateman’s article regarding meat consumption, I agree and disagree with Jessica’s response that meat is a necessary part of the human diet that should not be totally eradicated. I concur that each person has the right to make their own decision regarding food intake, and nobody should entirely discontinue eating meats and animal products, because they provide nutrients that are vital to survival. I also agree that if meat consumption were to completely end, this would result in traumatic results for the economy and the farmers who raise livestock for a living. However, I do hold the opinion that reducing meat intake will be beneficial to society overall. I believe it is harmful to eliminate animal product supplies by consuming foods at exceptionally high rates, so decreasing intake would be productive. I, myself, will never fully refrain from eating meat and animal products, but I am aware of the sources that I get my foods from. Additionally, I continuously ensure that I am eating sustainable amounts of meats as a solution to the problem as hand. Eating meat is necessary, but decreasing meat intake is productive and reasonable, as opposed to eating enough to contribute to overconsumption.
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I think Jessica has a good point but misses that the author’s intent is not to make you do anything. The author believes in choice as well and doesn’t judge anyone who doesn’t agree with her. The point of this article is not to convince you to convert to reducetarianism it is to make you aware of an option not a lot of people think of. Most people think that you must go meat all the way or no meat at all, when really you can do something in between. I think this concept is great because science proves that humans are naturally meant to eat meat, but that with our lessened activity through the centuries we need to cut back on meat to match it. Vegans and vegetarians typically choose their paths because they protest the treatment of animals or because they don’t think they could control themselves to eat a reduced amount of meat. For those who can’t imagine life without meat but want to eat healthier, this is a perfect option.
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I agree with Thomas B when he points out the fact that due to human’s lessened physical activity, we could benefit from lessening the amount of meat that we eat. It is shown that more lean diet, consisting of less red meat and more lean meat and more vegetables, can be a very healthy way of eating. If some people want to be a part of reducetarianism that is great. No one should ever be forced to do anything however I think that it is great that people are trying to bring awareness to this. This eating way would not only help animals, but help humans become healthier.
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I agree with this article. Meat consumption will be very difficult to take away. Many people that have tried to completely remove meat from their diet, like vegetarians or vegans, most of the time go back to their old ways. The amount of people that are choosing the cold turkey route are very few. It is a very difficult thing to do. We understand how bad meat is for us, but that alone is not such a great motivation for us to discontinue consuming it. I also agree with this article that a process of slowly removing it from our diet can help. It is easier to slowly remove, than to change it from one day to another. If we are introduced to other healthier and good tasting replacements it will help the people make a smarter choice. Many people that do not know, thing that the food that vegetarian and vegans eat is not good tasting. However, they are wrong. They just need to learn more about all the alternatives there are to eat. More people also need to taught about all the health issues consuming plenty of meat can bring. They need to learn about everything that takes place in farm factories. It is very important because consuming meat with all the antibiotics and chemicals that are added are very bad for our health. Something definitely has to change in order for us to have a more healthy life style. There are also other alternatives, like organic food. There is even meat that is organic without any added hormones. However, all that food is more pricey. For that reason, people choose to buy the non organic food. I also agree with the article that they should increase the prices of the meat, and decrease prices for the more healthier food.
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In the passage, Kateman tells the audience that the consumption of meat and dairy products can be reduced through investing in plant based substitutes and cultured meats instead. Kateman tries to persuade the audience to take up his view point through convincing the reader that they will be making a difference to help the world become a better place. Some ways Kateman tried to convince the audience to his viewpoint was through telling the audience that eating too much meat is bad for your health, eating lots of meats promote animal cruelty, and speed up global climate change through the lowering of rare species. Kateman uses ethos in the passage to try to get the readers to feel ethically wrong for eating meat. This is an extremely effective passage to convince draw the audience in and make them feel like they are making a change by just changing their eating habits subtly.
I do not share the shame views except for the how the passage talks about moderation in eating meats. Although in agreement, people eating too much meat is bad and the effects of changing human dietary habits could have a beneficial effect on the world, the viewpoint I hold believes in moderation of eating meats. Of course, eating too much meat is bad for you, that is why people need to regulate their dietary habits to hold a healthy life style. Kateman’s passage also does not include the cost in how switching to plant based substitutes and culture meats follow in with the cost of what it cost extra to eat healthy. Unfortunately, eating healthy does cost extra in today’s economy where you can go to a vending machine and the cost of water will be more expensive than the cost of a Coca Cola. The passage does not hold a very realistic view on the average Joe’s life.
In conclusion, I believe the passage Kateman shared with us is flawed. Cultured meats are not necessarily healthy for the human body. There needs to be some moderation in eating meats and I believe Kateman is correct when saying that however, to create those cultured meats also will be a cause of animal cruelty. In order to develop cultured meats similar to the meats we eat today, scientists will alter animals structure to obtain ideas of how to create the cultured meats. This does not include that cultured meats are often less healthy than actual meats since they have chemicals that they usually have chemicals that are not good for the human body in them. The passage is very contradictory since other than Kateman talking about reductionism, the remainder of the passage does not go into detail of how much is harmful or any comparisons showing how by doing as Kateman says will help humans and the world around us.
-Austin Wood
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A great lesson,thanks for sharing
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According to Kateman’s essay, he states that red meat has been associated to diseases such as, kidney stones, high cholesterol and trans-fat. He also explains how the consumption of red meats had lowered down and the chicken sales are up, meaning that more people are conscious of the risk of consuming too much red meat. Kateman has proposed a campaign called “reducetarianism” and he defines it as the act of reducing the amount of meat, poultry and seafood consumed without completely getting rid of it in our diets. It is to encourage people to eat less animal products such as eggs, red meat, and milk as well. Personally, I believe that his campaing has the perfect name, because is not telling you to stop eating red meat, but to be selective with the food you are consuming. According to Kateman “By supporting efforts to reduce the consumption of animal-based foods regardless of the degree of reduction or the motivation behind it, the reducetarian campaign aims to create an inclusive community,” (Kateman); although, the labs specialized to create the meat are not ready yet, Kateman invites us to continue under a plant-based diet. Kateman assures that meat-free diets are going to be possible to achieve in a no so long future.
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Reduceterianism is well-named… it reduces the positive effect you can make.
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