How Much Meat Do We Eat? Consumption Statistics

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How much meat do we eat? Consumption statistics

As I was driving out in the country recently, I looked out over hills that were totally denuded of native vegetation - just pastures and paddocks, most of them growing fodder for livestock.

To some it would have been an idyllic rural view and while it's far better than seeing factories for as far as the eye can see; it's a shame that a landscape that remained pretty much unchanged for thousands of years has fallen so quickly to cater to our desire for meat.

The usual disclaimer - I eat meat and even with recent reductions, I fully acknowledge it's still too much. Articles I write on the topic of meat are just another way for me to come to grips with the scale of the issue, to drive home the fact that it's something I and many others really do need to change if we can.

In my article on reducing meat consumption, I outline some of the environmental issues associated with meat eating - and they are quite shocking. Another item on the cruelty aspect of some factory farms challenges us to meet our meat.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/health-and-nutrition/33496-how-much-meat-do-we-eat.html

A good way to get our heads around the issue is to compare what was then with what is now and gain an idea of exactly how much we're consuming. Here's some interesting statistics I dug up.

USA

In 1970 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in the USA:

Beef: ~ 80 pounds
Chicken: ~ 27 pounds
Pork: ~ 54 pounds
Turkey: ~ 7 pounds

A total of 168 pounds (around 76 kilograms) per year.

In 2005 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in the USA:

Beef: ~ 63 pounds
Chicken: ~ 60 pounds
Pork: ~ 48 pounds
Turkey: ~ 14 pounds

A total of 185 pounds (around 84 kilograms) per year.

Growth: 17 pounds

This information was sourced from the USDA. Going back further to the 1950's, meat consumption was under the 100 pound mark per capita. While 17 pounds more may not seem like a lot, multiply that by a population of 300 million.

Australia

In 1968/69 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in Australia:

Beef and Veal: 40 kilograms
Poultry: 8.3 kilograms
Pork: 6.7 kilograms
Lamb and Mutton: 36.4 kilograms

A total of 91.4 kilograms (around 200 pounds) per year.

In 2005/06 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in Australia:

Beef and Veal: 36.7 kilograms
Poultry: 38 kilograms
Pork: 22.2 kilograms
Lamb and Mutton: 13 kilograms

A total of 109.9 kilograms (around 242 pounds) per year.

Growth: 18.5 kilograms.

These statistics were sourced from the Victorian Department of Primary Industry. It seems like an incredible amount, but thinking back to my "meat and three meats" days; I'm sure I would have chomped my way through at least that much.

UK

I had some difficulty finding "apples to apples" (for want of a better term) statistics for the UK, but consumption of poultry meat appears to have doubled over the past 20 years, while red meat and pork consumption has remained static. Britons' overall meat consumption is now 50 per cent higher than it was 40 years ago.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33496

Canada

In 1969 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in Canada

Red meat (boneless weight) : 48.63 kilograms
Poultry (boneless weight) : 13.70 kilograms

A total of 62.33 kilograms (around 137 pounds) per year

In 2005 the averages for annual meat consumption per capita in Canada

Red meat (boneless weight) : 39.34 kilograms
Poultry (boneless weight) : 23.27 kilograms

A total of 62.61 kilograms (around 137 pounds) per year.

These statistics were sourced from Statistics Canada

Take a bow Canada, but not too deep as as the global average in 2003 was 38 kg (around 84 pounds) per person according to the report "Global Production and Consumption of Animal Source Foods" from the United Nations.

 
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Many Ayurvedic doctors consider meat as poison and say that meat eating is the cause of many problems,but if we look an average consumption of meat by Australian 110 kg it is such a large quantity.even the most ravenous meat eaters oF India cannot match this amount ,yet australians are healthy and strong.So it looks to me Ayurvedic theories are quite a failure here

Kanwardeep Singh ji

Good point. Let me add. Eskimos, tribal peoples who live in the Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada, traditionally survived almost 100 percent on a diet of meat, meat fat, bone marrow. Whale, caribou, bear, and salmon. All very rich and fatty. And their cholesterol counts in general are normal.

Well one can say that eskimo's live in extremely cold environment so may be they are different,but Australia's environment is similar to India.

I think we in the West eat far too much meat and need a more balanced diet.

Saying that, your average Indian is quite weedy. I am convinced vegetarianism was an attempt by Brahmins to control the masses. I mean why have they banned eggs? They are not foetuses, just a waste product. In terms of Karma egg consumption makes no sense, but in terms of the bodily function (i.e. consumption of B12 and Iron), elements that make the body more active and less passive, it makes sense to make people not have as mich B12 in order to make them passive and control them. I strongly believe that Vegetarianism was/is a control mechanism of the masses and to keep the caste system well and truly alive.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33496
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33496

What compounds this more is, The Brahmin bestowes the Kshatriya title on people like a knighthood and says, Ok if you defend us (the Brahins) then we will let you eat meat (because obviously they realise it makes them stronger and less easier to subdue). Amazing, we suckers still fall for this clap trap, and do not eat according to conscience rather than Karmic blackmail!

Actually One cannot only blames brahmins as the most hardcore vegetarian Religion is jainism and to some extent Budhism also promote vegetarianism.

Most Buddhist I know eat meat.

Jains are hardcore veggies.

The term more acurate should be Vaishnavite Brahmins.

has anyone heard of a jain Warrior...athlete..war plane pilot..army commander...commando.....????

Large Scale ONE SIDED stress on "vegetarainsim" to the extent of denigrating and ridiculing the No hallal injunction in the SRM for the past few decades has been a DERA ACTION..all a so called Sant baba, mahapursh, BHaramGyani initiative..and we all know these DERAWADEES are deeply rooted in Vaishvanite Brahminism/RSS etc...so that direction actually is born in BENARES/HARDWAAR and NOT Amrtisar !!

GURBANI stresses BALANCED HEALTHY DIET...we have been led by the nose towards the HOLY COW theory of Benares...even today there are some "Sikhs"..clean shaven..smokers even...drinkers..etc etc..no knowledge of any Gurbani or even names of Gurus..BUT will avoid the BEEF like it was Plague causing..Na Na Na Beef aseen kivehn khaa sakdeh haan..Cow taan sadee Maan hai..( ..BUT surpriingly eating MUTTON its perfectly ok to eat the MASSEE (goat) even though they drink her milk too !! but Not the Gaoo Mata !! what indoctrination.. One came to me one day and wanted me to perform a special ardass...He had inadvertantly been fed a tiny piece of beef in a Fried Rice dish at a Govt Hopsital..and was seriously afraid he would go to HELL when he died. Mein KUREHIT kar layee he said...( I have committed a Kurehit..a sin..)..I told him..you dont keep kesh, you dont know a word of gurmukhi..never did any paaths..you shave daily..and you are a CHAIN SMOKER....where did you read that its a KUREHIT to swallow a tiny bit of beef inadvertantly. OH my parents always taught us..no beef..or we are NOT SIKHS !! His parents never mentioned smoking becasue the daddy was also a chain smoker...

In other words you have no response therfore resort to sarcasm.

Why don't you post with your actual name rather than hiding behind aliases?

Please explain to me how an unfertilised egg actually constitutes a life?

How does an unfertilised egg = anything in terms of Karma?