To eat meat or not

North Americans eat more than their fair share of meat. A growing number of people are opting out of meat eating all together, often citing health, environmental, and animal welfare issues as their chief sources of concern. While opting out of industrially raised meat is an effective way to address these concerns, the decision to eat meat or not does not have to be black and white. There are many great sources of sustainably raised meat that serve as an important alternative to factory farmed meat.

Conscientious meat eating is a term used to define eaters who choose their meat sources carefully. Instead of picking up a package of ground beef in the supermarket, with no idea where it comes from or who produced it and how, a conscientious meat eater will consider buying locally produced and processed meat from the farm gate, local farmers’ market, or grocery outlet that carries local products.

Benefits of eating local, sustainably raised meat

  • Knowing the producer
  • Knowing how it was produced – including whether hormones and antibiotics were used, and what kind of feed was given
  • Ensuring you are getting top quality meat that has a reduced risk of contamination
  • Reducing the amount of kilometers the product has been shipped, meaning less greenhouse gas emissions
  • Supporting your local economy, where money will continue to circulate locally rather than going to a multinational food company based out of province
  • To find sources of sustainably raised meat in your area, visit the Eat Well Guide as well, you can visit our food directory page.