The meat of the matter

Climate change and ecological destruction are unquestionably among the apex existential crises facing humanity and the future vitality of our planet. It would not be hyperbolic to state that drastic changes are necessary and must be implemented promptly.

To negate the worst possible outcomes of climate change, and to adhere to the international agreements outlined in the Paris Climate Accord, the United Nations asserts that we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

It is within public education that we must place our hope and through which emancipatory change may be actualized. There are certainly remarkable grassroots initiatives manifesting within our Manitoba schools, ranging from the establishment of composting and recycling programs, outdoor and land-based pedagogies, critical discourse on hyperconsumptionism, exploring renewable green energies, and so forth.

However, a topic seldom discussed in our education networks pertains to learning about meat consumption and its significant impacts on climate change.

Joseph Poore, professor of Food Sustainability at the University of Oxford, concluded that “[a] vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use.”

His team published a study in 2018 analyzing over 40,000 farms in 119 countries across the planet. Their results highlighted the egregious inefficiencies of livestock agriculture. These researchers disseminated that more than 80 per cent of global farmland is devoted to agricultural livestock, and yet only produce 18 per cent of our caloric intake.

Another 2023 study at the University of Oxford, led by Professor Peter Scarborough, demonstrated that a vegan diet generates approximately one quarter of CO2 emissions that a high meat diet would otherwise produce.

There is enormous disconcertion toward our diminishing ecosystems, as well. According to Our World in Data, only four per cent of mammal biomass on Earth may be attributed to wildlife, while over 34 per cent is human and 62 per cent is livestock.

The World Wildlife Foundation further shared grim outlooks in their 2024 report that wildlife populations have plummeted by 73 per cent over the past 50 years. This organization also highlighted other devastating trends, specifically cattle ranching as being the unrivaled culprit for the deforestation in the Amazon, accounting for over 80 per cent of its environmental destruction.

As a global phenomenon, these issues are prevalent locally, as well. Manitoba Eco-Network, a local non-profit organization, is sounding alarm regarding the proposed 2025 establishment of new dairy farms in North Dakota, which will further threaten the vitality of Lake Winnipeg and other Manitoba waterways. Livestock agriculture, and the subsequent excrement produced, are considerable contributors to pollution and algal blooms. Lake Winnipeg remains particularly vulnerable and is considered one of Earth’s most endangered lakes.

Manitoba school boards and divisions should be commended for initiatives to help our learners cultivate understandings of, and solutions toward, ecological justice. However, discourse on dietary revisionism is generally absent from most divisional websites and is not explicitly outlined in many schools’ targeted goals and/or mandates.

Understandably, the social, cultural, and spiritual connections with diets are highly intricate and sensitive. Diet is deeply entrenched in our societal way of life and is intrinsically interwoven with tradition, celebration, and various cultural customs. Further, many of us navigate tender relationships with our diets, as food is a source of comfort in an otherwise troubled world.

It is of paramount importance to recognize sustainable and ethical ways of approaching meat harvest and consumption, particularly exemplified by our Indigenous communities. The intersections of meat production and climate change are consequent to Western hyperconsumptionist capitalism, not due to the sustainable and reciprocal methods embodied by Indigenous communities practiced for millennia.

As such, I do not espouse that everyone must abandon meat consumption. Not everyone may have the immediate emotional and/or physical capacity to become a vegetarian or vegan. However, we can collectively reduce meat consumption by exploring and incorporating more plant-based alternatives in our routine diets.

Local businesses keen on ecological justice may be recommended to explore plant-based catering for organizational events. Public schools can cultivate critical learning and reflection about the ecological impacts of our diets. School administrators may be advised to similarly critically examine dietary programs, such as school milk programs, and catering offerings for public events.

Time is undoubtedly limited and we need to make concerted, strategic interventions to ensure a better future for our upcoming generations. This is a collective responsibility and we can all do our part, in whatever capacity.

Jordan Laidlaw is a public school teacher, vegan, and Ph.D. candidate in Educational Administration.