FEED THE PEOPLE OR SAVE THE EARTH?
Americans are not eating as much meat as they usedto. Price is certainly a major reason. But people alsosay there are other reasons, such as health and ethics.
For the first time,a group of advisers to the United States Department of Agriculture is suggesting thatAmericans consider the environment when making healthy food choices.This suggestion has caused some debate.
Every five years,the United States Department ofAgriculture issues Dietary Guidelines for Americans.These guidelines are based on ｕpdated nutritional science.
A top official with the trade group, North American Meat Institutesays the department’s suggestions,or recommendations, affect some of the most vulnerable people in America: those who depend onschool lunches and federal programs for older people,women and children.
"And these are some of our most vulnerablepopulations who need the protein and the vitamins and minerals thatare in meat and poultry."
The advisory report is open for public review. Some parts ofit have caused debate. The part causing the most debate isthe report’s link between healthy food choices and environmental sustainability.The discussion of environmental sustainability is not part of what the House ofRepresentatives told the committee to consider.
"They were told specifically to focus on nutrition. Whenthey formed a sub committee on sustainability, the House (of Representatives) appropriators includedlanguage in the budget bill that said, ‘Stick to nutrition.Do not stray into the environment'."
However, some people say that including environmentalissues is good for the public and the planet. One ofthese people is Janet Larsen, a research director forthe Earth Policy Institute, an environmental group.
Ms. Larsen says that meat production releases a lot of carbon gas into theenvironment.
"Meat production is very carbon intensive.It releases greenhouse gases that are warming the planet.And so, if you’re concerned about climate change,you realize that you need to start eating lower onthe food chain to reduce your overall carbonfootprint."
Farm animals thatare raised for food require a lot of land, food and water. Ms.Larsen says.This is part of their carbon footprint.
While the United States is eating less meat, other parts ofthe world are eating more. China is now the world's top meat consumer. Ms. Larsen says China’sdesire for meat is growing.
"If China tries tonot just increase their meat imports, but increase their domestic production ata large scale, that is likely to mean that they willbe importing more grain and more soy, especially from world markets.That will have an effect on food prices everywhere.We know that when food prices are volatile or if they spike,we see more and more people end up hungry."
Janet Riley, who represents the Meat Institute,says people who are experts in nutrition arenot experts in the environment. She says the panel does not haveenough scientific information or knowledge to link the environment to foodguidelines.
"…to suggest that somehow eating less meat is going to have this hugeimpact on the environment. We need more data. We need a panel of expertsin that field to take a look at it and come up with real definitiverecommendations if we want to go there. We can't have nutritionists trying todelve into a field where they really don't have the expertise to make thesekinds of recommendations."
The aim of the guidelines isto control disease and obesity, the condition of being overweight.The guidelines do this by suggesting a diet higher invegetables and lower in animal-based foods. Ms. Larsen says she hopes thefinal version of the guidelines provides more reasons to eat healthier overall.
I think that it is really important notto export the meat heavy American diet, but export messages of healthand wellness and environmental sustainability, and show people thatwe realize that we have likely overshot and now we need to move down the foodchain and eat less meat."
The United States Department of Agriculture will issueits final dietary guidelines later this year.
Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/feed-people-or-save-the-planet/2684211.html
Image: http://data1.whicdn.com/images/67869490/large.gif
VOCABULARY:
1. recommendation – n. a suggestion about what should be done
2. vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally,or emotionally
3. sustainability – n. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroynatural resources
4. stray – v. to go in a direction thatis away from a group or from the place where you should be
5. food chain – n. a series of types of living things in which each one uses thenext lower member of the series as a source of food
6. carbon footprint – n. the amount of carbon dioxide and other carboncompounds emitted due tothe consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc.
consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services for personal use
QUESTIONS:
1. How much meat do youeat a day?
2. How important ishaving meat in your daily diet?
3. Do you think thecarbon footprint of meat production contribute much in global warming?
4. If lesseningconsumption of meat will surely help lessen the environmental problem of globalwarming, would you do your part and eat less meat?
