Commentary
Life isn’t black and white; it’s filled with countless shades of gray. Similarly, in the realm of food and agriculture, the dichotomy between plant-based and meat-based diets often overlooks the nuances that define our food systems.
Having spent years running restaurants in Los Angeles as a successful vegan chef, I came to a profound realization: truly vegan food doesn’t exist. This epiphany led me to embrace regenerative agriculture, aligning my practices with nature and a higher purpose, working with them rather than against them.
The Illusion of Ethical Eating
Both sides of the dietary debate—those advocating for meat consumption and those championing plant-only diets—often find themselves at odds, each accusing the other of being misled. The truth is, both systems are fundamentally flawed. Our current agricultural practices are rife not only with animal abuse but also excessive use of pesticides and pharmaceuticals, leading to the poisoning of our food, sterilization of our guts, and contributing to neurodivergent conditions in our children.On the other hand, the plant-only advocates, believing that exclusive plant consumption will save the planet, are equally culpable. They rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and monocropping vast swathes of land, destroying habitats, depending on highly toxic chemicals, producing highly processed foods dependent on industrial agricultural systems that all lead to the same outcome. It’s as much what you eat as how what you eat was produced.
The True Cost of Cheap Food
Consider the $6 rotisserie chicken at any grocery store, wrapped in plastic on a black tray—how is that possible? Raising a bird for that price is unfeasible. If you’re not hatching your own birds, just buying the chick alone costs a large percentage of that $6. Not to mention feed, housing, labor, etc. Grass-fed lamb at Costco is less than $6 a pound, yet local USDA facilities charge me $125 just for processing. With 25 to 30 pounds per animal, plus packaging and butchering, processing costs alone exceed $5 a pound.Supporting Resilient Local Farmers
Farmers doing the right thing need support from those who can support this kind of food system. As we shift the system, costs will decrease. Unfortunately, the food we consider fairly priced at the grocery store is often subsidized by the government, while organic and regenerative farmers struggle to receive such subsidies. Mega farms, due to their size, can buy in bulk, have their own processing facilities, and more. But there is a cost to operate at that size, and it usually comes in the form of quality neutral density, and the treatment of sentient beings.Rethinking Reproductive Rights and Health
One side screams about reproductive rights; the other asks, when does life begin? But what about the reproductive rights of our children—their right to reproduce? With declining testosterone, dropping sperm counts, and COPD at an all-time high, shouldn’t that be the reproductive rights we’re concerned about?If you were to Google right now the sperm count of an average man in 2040, you’d be surprised to find out it’s zero.
We need to stop screaming at each other and start talking, finding solutions for our air, water, soil, bodies, and future generations’ ability to reproduce.
By embracing these actions, we can foster a food system that nourishes our bodies, respects the planet, and safeguards the health and fertility of future generations.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
