neither fish nor flesh? september 2011 louise o. fresco

Neither Fish nor Flesh?

September 2011

Louise O. Fresco

• Consumption follows income growth

• Major growth in pork, poultry and aquaculture

Meat & Ambivalence

the dual symbol of strength and destruction

Animal welfare concerns

Human disease risk (zoonotic diseases such as avian flu)

Fish consumption grows as fast as meat consumption

Meat as a new Moral Issuehow important is meat to you?

How important is meat (fish) to you?

• I eat meat (fish) every day• I eat meat (fish) more than once a day• I eat meat (fish) at every meal• I prefer: chicken, pork, mutton/lamb,

beef, other...• I eat more meat (fish) than my parents

used to eat

Why do we eat meat and fish(1) ?It is part of human evolution

Declining meat consumption with the invention of agriculture

Chinese invention of fish culture

Why do we eat meat and fish(2) ?The need for proteins

Animal and plant proteins

Animal proteins have made us strong and healthy, but we now consume too much protein with associated health

risks

Food in Paradise was vegetarian!

In the Bible meat and fish only came after the Great Flood

Meat and fish are part of our cultural traditions

Affluence means unlimited proteins

Strong urban demand for animal foods

We eat meat because sometimes there is no alternative production

Monogastrics: more efficient but risky

Large scale production in world wide trading networks

Depletion of Fish Resources

The Modern Consumer does not want to know about the origin of food

Romantic views of farming

Protests against meat production

What is the future for meat and fish consumption?

• Demonising meat and fish is not a solution

• Taxation of meat leads to negative side effects

• Stimulate sustainable production

• Promote healthy eating

• Research on alternatives

New vegetable proteins

Other sources of maritime proteins: algae

International agreements on proteins?

Neither Fish nor Flesh?

Both, but in moderation...