Opinion: "The End of Meat Is Here" - NY Times

[Jeff Robinson]

Yes of course there are serious environmental and social harms in all forms of food production but it’s completely deluded at this stage to not recognise that the meat industry is in a league of its own when it comes to a whole host of harms including global warming, soil erosion, pandemic risks, anti-biotic resistance, water pollution, biodiversity loss, water use, habitat destruction, ocean dead-zones, brutalisation and psychological harms to workers and fatal diseases in humans.

What makes the meat industry unique is not only the kinds and degrees of harm it directly causes, but also that it amplifies the harms of plant industries as well, given the large percentage of crops grown or diverted for animal feed. For all this talk of plant and animal agriculture being ‘symbiotic’ and in ‘harmony’ its more accurate to think of resource intensive animal agriculture as parasitic on the former.

And then you’ve got the fact that the meat industry is based on brutal industrial scale slaughter of sentient beings. The ethical and factual realities of this are where meat apologists are at their most deluded, either believing it can be done nicely or that it raises no moral issues whatsoever.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

No delusions here. Animals die - and yes, often in fairly horrible ways - so that people can eat them. Should we strive to reduce overall consumption, try to ensure good welfare standards, and all the other things that have been gone over here again and again? Of course. But don’t try and tell me I’m hiding the reality of where my food comes from, because I’m OK with it.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

No delusions here. Animals die - and yes, often in fairly horrible ways - so that people can eat them. Should we strive to reduce overall consumption, try to ensure good welfare standards, and all the other things that have been gone over here again and again? Of course. But don’t try and tell me I’m hiding the reality of where my food comes from, because I’m OK with it.

This is a classical example of cognitive dissonance. Animals die - note the passive voice there - "often in fairly horrible ways" but you're "OK with it"? Why then should we "strive to reduce overall consumption" and "ensure good welfare standards". What you're doing here is trying to have your steak and eat it. You acknowledge the problem but try to minimise its significance by making some vague gestures to doing 'something' about it - lip service basically.

 

[Funky_monks]

This is a classical example of cognitive dissonance. Animals die - note the passive voice there - "often in fairly horrible ways" but you're "OK with it"? Why then should we "strive to reduce overall consumption" and "ensure good welfare standards". What you're doing here is trying to have your steak and eat it. You acknowledge the problem but try to minimise its significance by making some vague gestures to doing 'something' about it - lip service basically.

Well, apart from anything else, lots of those animals die in the production of crops.
Why do you think crows and seagulls follow the combine? Plenty of small animals get killed by it, sadly. Cultivation (ploughing, harrowing etc) kills animals in their thousands (although we should be moving away from it, its terrible for the soil) Pest control is necessary to actually have some crops (as well as the invertebrate pests, you have: rabbits, rats, mice, and to a greater and greater extent given their explosion in numbers, deer).

Nature is full of death, and deaths far more unpleasant than slaughter, carried out professionally. We are not as removed from nature as you think.

At least slaughter is regulated (EU regs WATOK - welfare at time of killing), abattoirs here and in the EU must have a vet present, plus meat inspector. All slaughterers must be licenced to slaughter the species of animal that they are slaughtering. As said, I've been in abattoirs, I take students (some ag and some veterinary) on visits to them (some big, some small such as the teaching abattoir at a well known veterinary school.
Given that I used to work with livestock, I've met plenty of vets (you need to have a vet out at least every year in order to obtain meds). A friend of mine has just finished her post as an animal behaviour lecturer with a welfare specialism and now works as farm liason for an abattoir group.

All of these people have a very real grasp of animal welfare concerns, all of them eat meat, having seen slaughter (and not just watched a youtube video).

The other issue is, that if we want to move forward in a sustainable way, lots of methods for doing that involve animals. You can't grow crops without fertiliser, and your current options are fossil fuel based synthetic fertiliser or manure (including treated human slurry, which has heavy regs attached but is still used). Mixed grazing or rotational grazing on arable farms to graze aftermaths/undersown crops provides a good way of controlling pernicious weeds (such as blackgrass) as well as spreading some fertiliser without the need for spreading any fertiliser.

I'll wait for all of that to be ignored and "but.......permaculture" (which often involves animals anyway), or some wholesale point-missing to come marching towards this conversation.

 

[Funky_monks]

Also, I don't think anyone is saying that massive food processors essentially controlling the supply chain isn't a huge problem.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Well, apart from anything else, lots of those animals die in the production of crops.
Why do you think crows and seagulls follow the combine? Plenty of small animals get killed by it, sadly. Cultivation (ploughing, harrowing etc) kills animals in their thousands (although we should be moving away from it, its terrible for the soil) Pest control is necessary to actually have some crops (as well as the invertebrate pests, you have: rabbits, rats, mice, and to a greater and greater extent given their explosion in numbers, deer).

Nature is full of death, and deaths far more unpleasant than slaughter, carried out professionally. We are not as removed from nature as you think.

At least slaughter is regulated (EU regs WATOK - welfare at time of killing), abattoirs here and in the EU must have a vet present, plus meat inspector. All slaughterers must be licenced to slaughter the species of animal that they are slaughtering. As said, I've been in abattoirs, I take students (some ag and some veterinary) on visits to them (some big, some small such as the teaching abattoir at a well known veterinary school.
Given that I used to work with livestock, I've met plenty of vets (you need to have a vet out at least every year in order to obtain meds). A friend of mine has just finished her post as an animal behaviour lecturer with a welfare specialism and now works as farm liason for an abattoir group.

All of these people have a very real grasp of animal welfare concerns, all of them eat meat, having seen slaughter (and not just watched a youtube video).

The other issue is, that if we want to move forward in a sustainable way, lots of methods for doing that involve animals. You can't grow crops without fertiliser, and your current options are fossil fuel based synthetic fertiliser or manure (including treated human slurry, which has heavy regs attached but is still used). Mixed grazing or rotational grazing on arable farms to graze aftermaths/undersown crops provides a good way of controlling pernicious weeds (such as blackgrass) as well as spreading some fertiliser without the need for spreading any fertiliser.

I'll wait for all of that to be ignored and "but.......permaculture" (which often involves animals anyway), or some wholesale point-missing to come marching towards this conversation.

I'm well aware that field animals are killed in crop production. Animal agriculture increases those deaths by increasing the demand for crops. There are also loads of important ethical distinctions between the killing animals in crop production and the killing them to eat them. The laws regulating killing animals are weak, permit massive suffering and are barely enforced. With 1 billion land animals slaughtered for food in Britain every year (32 every second) its deluded to believe any regime could provide meaningful protections to the animals being industrially slaughtered in the death factories.

 

[Funky_monks]

I'm well aware that field animals are killed in crop production. Animal agriculture increases those deaths by increasing the demand for crops. The are also loads of important ethical distinctions between the killing animals in crop production and the killing them to eat them. The laws regulating killing animals are weak, permit massive suffering and are barely enforced. With 1 billion land animals slaughtered for food in Britain every year (32 every second) its deluded to believe any regime could provide meaningful protections to the animals being industrially slaughtered in the death factories.

You say that, and yet you've never been in an abattor - I have, several. All vets must do work experience in one, you'd think that if anyone was going to have a massive problem with it, it would be vets but they don't seem to, do they?

And yes, the killing of animals on crop production can be done (and often is) with such cruel methods such as poisoning, meat animals are not killed in agony over hours.

 

[editor]

No delusions here. Animals die - and yes, often in fairly horrible ways - so that people can eat them. Should we strive to reduce overall consumption, try to ensure good welfare standards, and all the other things that have been gone over here again and again? Of course. But don’t try and tell me I’m hiding the reality of where my food comes from, because I’m OK with it.

Great to hear that you're OK with it.

What you're doing here is trying to have your steak and eat it. You acknowledge the problem but try to minimise its significance by making some vague gestures to doing 'something' about it - lip service basically.

Yep.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

You say that, and yet you've never been in an abattor - I have, several. All vets must do work experience in one, you'd think that if anyone was going to have a massive problem with it, it would be vets but they don't seem to, do they?

And yes, the killing of animals on crop production can be done (and often is) with such cruel methods such as poisoning, meat animals are not killed in agony over hours.

All vets must do work experience in a slaughterhouse? Sounds unlikely, but anyway, I have little respect for the veterinary profession, given how implicated it is in animal exploitation. Any argument you make about cruel methods of killing field animals is an argument against the meat industry, which requires the production of extra crops to feed animals. And farmed animals do die in agony over hours or even weeks. They die of diseases and lameness in the tens of millions due to their selective breeding and terrible living conditions. The regulations for slaughterhouses are routinely not enforced and animals have their throats slashed whilst fully conscious or are even boiled alive. They also turn up at slaughterhouses dead after suffocating or freezing to death in trucks. It's an absolute horror show, quit playing otherwise.

 

[editor]

Interesting development here:

Food campaigners are taking legal action against the government for failing to support the transition to a low-carbon diet by encouraging people to eat less meat.

Global Feedback, which campaigns for regenerative food production, says the government’s food strategy does not take into account advice that cutting levels of meat and dairy consumption is crucial to achieving the country’s net zero goals.


The food strategy was published in June to a chorus of criticism, including from the experts the government had commissioned to help formulate it.

It also highlights advice from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an independent public body, that a shift in diet is “particularly important”, and calls for a 20% cut in consumption of meat and dairy by 2030 as part of its “balanced net zero pathway” scenario.

Feedback’s letter says: “The food strategy made no mention of, and showed no consideration of, the clear advice on meat and dairy reduction coming from both the CCC and [Dimbleby’s] independent review; or even any consideration of the issue they had raised.”

Agricultural production of meat – particularly ruminants such as cattle and sheep – and dairy is a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is eliminated from the atmosphere much more quickly than CO2, making measures to cut methane one of the more effective short-term actions that can be taken to mitigate climate breakdown.

Campaigners take legal action over failings of England’s food strategy

Global Feedback seeks judicial review of plan for not suggesting less meat and dairy consumption

www.theguardian.com

Good to see the Soil Association getting involved too

Rob Percival, the head of food policy at the Soil Association, said his organisation was broadly supportive of the legal action, despite having no formal role in it. But alongside the focus on methane emissions from ruminants, Percival said action also needed to be taken on industrial production of pork and chicken, which account for the majority of the meat consumed in the UK.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

This is a classical example of cognitive dissonance. Animals die - note the passive voice there - "often in fairly horrible ways" but you're "OK with it"? Why then should we "strive to reduce overall consumption" and "ensure good welfare standards". What you're doing here is trying to have your steak and eat it. You acknowledge the problem but try to minimise its significance by making some vague gestures to doing 'something' about it - lip service basically.

• Accepting animals die so we can eat them.
• Acknowledging the impact meat production has on the environment and wanting this impact minimised if possible
• Acknowdgong that global food production, supply chains and the capitalist structures that drive them is a massively complex issue with no simple solutions

It is quite possible to subscribe to all of the above. The world is shades of grey.

 

[editor]

• Accepting animals die so we can eat them.
• Acknowledging the impact meat production has on the environment and wanting this impact minimised if possible
• Acknowdgong that global food production, supply chains and the capitalist structures that drive them is a massively complex issue with no simple solutions

It is quite possible to subscribe to all of the above. The world is shades of grey.

You're doing a mighty good impression of someone who doesn't give much of a shit about any of the above, shrugging it all off as something they can't do much about, so will just carry on scoffing meat from any old source whenever they feel like it.

Which is your choice, of course.

 

[Funky_monks]

All vets must do work experience in a slaughterhouse? Sounds unlikely, but anyway, I have little respect for the veterinary profession, given how implicated it is in animal exploitation. Any argument you make about cruel methods of killing field animals is an argument against the meat industry, which requires the production of extra crops to feed animals. And farmed animals do die in agony over hours or even weeks. They die of diseases and lameness in the tens of millions due to their selective breeding and terrible living conditions. The regulations for slaughterhouses are routinely not enforced and animals have their throats slashed whilst fully conscious or are even boiled alive. They also turn up at slaughterhouses dead after suffocating or freezing to death in trucks. It's an absolute horror show, quit playing otherwise.

I work with veterinary schools - they do.

And generally re: disease - if you have an ill animal you put it out of its misery if you can't cure it. Robustness is usually something that we breed for, the less med costs and on-farm deaths, the better and the better welfare is (if they are not needed). The slaughter regs are not only enforced, they have vets present to ensure that they are. Are you sure you are talking about the UK/Europe here?
Disease is inevitable in anything: plants, animals, humans - it's how you deal with it that counts.

From your article: The FSA, which released the data to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), said “only a tiny percentage” of animals that pass through Britain’s slaughterhouses are affected, adding that “the vast majority of meat processors comply with regulations”.

I've never seen a single transport death in my time. And yes, some religious slaughter requires the neck cut to be done pre-stun but that's Kosher, most of Halal is now done post stun.

 

[editor]

The reality

Tens of millions of farm animals in the US are dying before they can be slaughtered, according to a Guardian investigation exposing the deadly conditions under which animals are transported around the country.

Approximately 20 million chickens, 330,000 pigs and 166,000 cattle are dead on arrival, or soon after, at abattoirs in the US every year, analysis of publicly available data shows. A further 800,000 pigs are calculated to be unable to walk on arrival.

More than 20 million farm animals die on way to abattoir in US every year

Guardian analysis reveals toll of heat stress, cold and trauma amid rise in long-distance and more frequent journeys

www.theguardian.com

Thousands of chickens, pigs and sheep are suffering as they are taken to slaughterhouses because of breaches of animal welfare rules, a report claims.

The number of detected violations en route to abattoirs in England and Wales has tripled in two years, from 1,273 in 2015-16 to 3,832 in 2017-18, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said. Most relate to chickens suffocating in cramped crates or having bones broken or dislocated after being caught roughly.

Research has shown that more than a million of the 950 million chickens reared each year for meat die on the way to slaughterhouses.

Welfare breaches on farms rose by 41 per cent last year to 1,829...

A million chickens die on way to abattoirs as violations rise

Thousands of chickens, pigs and sheep are suffering as they are taken to slaughterhouses because of breaches of animal welfare rules, a report claims. The number of detected violations en route to abattoirs in England and Wales has tripled in two years, from 1,273 in 2015-16 to 3,832 in 2017-18

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[Jeff Robinson]

I work with veterinary schools - they do.

I wasn't disputing that veterinary students get work experience in slaughterhouses, I was queering your claim that "All vets must do work experience in one". That sounds like bollocks frankly but if you have a good source that shows it is a requirement of becoming a vet, then I will concede its true.

 

[Funky_monks]

The reality

More than 20 million farm animals die on way to abattoir in US every year

Guardian analysis reveals toll of heat stress, cold and trauma amid rise in long-distance and more frequent journeys

www.theguardian.com

The reality is, we don't live in the US.
They have little to no regs whatsoever, and a huge country that has less small and more large abattoirs - this is a problem here too, small abattoirs keep closing (ironically because of EU regs initially, but now they are just outcompeted). I dislike the idea of transporting animals over large distances (as do most farmers I speak to), but at the moment, the options keep dwindling. Ive still not seen anything in the way of transport deaths or even close in my time, but If you don't follow the regs, I can see how its possible.

For example: when I had sheep, had I wanted to supply Sainsburys (who generally have quite high welfare requirements, and I produced in a way that met them), I would have had to send them to Launceston. I was in Salisbury. I therefore didn't do that. I out as many as I could through my own box scheme, which required me to take them 20 minutes up the road, and the rest went through Salisbury market.

Farmers overwhelmingly want local abattoirs, if you speak to them.

The issue is (as per Bees), capitalism - big players control more and more market share (supermarkets). "Efficiency" in large companies is always going to mean centralisation. This isn't always conducive to welfare (although they might argue that it is because since they have such vast market share, they can impose standards on farmers which they must comply with in order to supply them - nevermind that Red Tractor is basically the government welfare codes of practice (which are law) transposed). They will always claim to be "acting for the consumer" because they collect consumer data. Not eating meat isn't going to stop the processors grip on our food supply - as above, many are already invested in meat substitutes.

Far better for welfare and the environment would be local supply chains, which are incompatible with this model.

I've said before on this thread, there are ways that farming needs to change - but that includes livestock and cropping, but much more than that, the stranglehold that huge companies have on your food supply is terrifying.

 

[Funky_monks]

I wasn't disputing that veterinary students get work experience in slaughterhouses, I was queering your claim that "All vets must do work experience in one". That sounds like bollocks frankly but if you have a good source that shows it is a requirement of becoming a vet, then I will concede its true.

Looks like they've changed it post COVID. The one I worked with (a large uni, and not the one I work at, I took vet students there) in had an abattoir on site and every student spent at least one shift in it.

Still strongly recommended: GVS experience in food sector

 

[editor]

I wasn't disputing that veterinary students get work experience in slaughterhouses, I was queering your claim that "All vets must do work experience in one". That sounds like bollocks frankly but if you have a good source that shows it is a requirement of becoming a vet, then I will concede its true.

Discussion here

As universities say it isn't mandatory, you could possibly get an offer into vet school without an abattoir experience. However, most universities prefer you see it. It is vitally important to understand the role abattoirs play in both veterinary medicine and public health. It shows awareness, a crucial quality needed.

I just wanted to expand a little bit and say that whilst you would very likely get into vet school without going to an abattoir, you will have to go to one whilst at vet school - this may be something that you decide you can just tolerate the couple of days off. But something else to consider, a reasonable amount of the course includes farm animal teaching - so placements on dairy, pig, sheep farms as a minimum, and then farm vet work later on. A lot of teaching on production animal diseases etc - you have to be willing to put the time into covering and learning this stuff, even if you disagree with the reason as to why it is occurring.

Slaughterhouse work experience for Veterinary? - The Student Room

 

[Funky_monks]

Discussion here

Slaughterhouse work experience for Veterinary? - The Student Room

As per above - I think it's been changed during COVID - but, like a lot of things, I suspect it might come back.

Edited to add, Ive fought through the adverts to read that discussion - I think the OP is quite naieve (which is to be expected, I guess). The bulk of small animal very practitioner work is basically neutering and euthanasia.

On a personal level, I don't like neutering anything unnecessarily, I don't neuter my dogs (no puppies so far, after a good 20 years of dog keeping), I didn't castrate on farm either, couldn't see the point, given that I rented grazing, I just put my ram lambs on a different farm after weaning.

 

[WouldBe]

The reality

Then don't buy American meat.

Iirc wasn't it you that started a thread some time back about "Don't buy [brand x] clothing" due to slave labour or similar?

That's the sensible approach where a producer has bad practices then you boycott that brand. Not if brand x has bad practices you ban all clothing.

 

[editor]

Then don't buy American meat.

Perhaps you missed the bit where it clearly stated that "thousands of chickens, pigs and sheep are suffering as they are taken to slaughterhouses" in the UK?

Oh and I don't buy any meat from anywhere, ever, thanks. And I've no idea what your clothing comments are about either.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

You're doing a mighty good impression of someone who doesn't give much of a shit about any of the above, shrugging it all off as something they can't do much about, so will just carry on scoffing meat from any old source whenever they feel like it.

Within the context of “I’m not going to stop eating meat”, I’m doing what I think is practical - I’ve massively cut down my consumption (primarily a financial choice right now, but has shown me it’s doable) and I’ve always tried to support local butchers/farm shops and will continue to do so.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Within the context of “I’m not going to stop eating meat”, I’m doing what I think is practical - I’ve massively cut down my consumption (primarily a financial choice right now, but has shown me it’s doable) and I’ve always tried to support local butchers/farm shops and will continue to do so.

Fair enough - hope you're getting more of a taste for veggie foods

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Fair enough - hope you're getting more of a taste for veggie foods

Yes and no. I’ve never disliked veggie food, and can happily eat it. But it’s just so… limiting. By definition, there’s a world of tastes and textures that suddenly aren’t available, which is the bit I struggle with.

 

[editor]

Yes and no. I’ve never disliked veggie food, and can happily eat it. But it’s just so… limiting. By definition, there’s a world of tastes and textures that suddenly aren’t available, which is the bit I struggle with.

There's also a whole new world of tastes you've most likely never tried before and there's never been so many excellent veggie/vegan restaurants, some of whom win awards over their meat-based rivals, e.g.

Brighton, UK vegan restaurant and pub The Roundhill recently won Best Sunday Roast in the Brighton Restaurant Awards for its weekly Sunday special, beating out all non-vegan entries. The award-winning nut roast is served with herb garlic roasted potatoes, maple glazed parsnips, braised red cabbage and beets, cauliflower cheese, carrot and swede mash, tenderstem broccoli, Yorkshire pudding, and red wine jus.

“Relatively new to the playing field and with a pretty niche market, The Roundhill has smashed the ball out the park on this one,” the award listing said. “Coming in at first place as the venue serving Brighton’s best Sunday roast is a monumental achievement for this family-run community pub. The Roundhill serves an exclusively plant-based food and drinks menu which has proven that there is more to the perfect roast than goose fat potatoes.”

UK Vegan Pub Beats Out Meat-Based Competition to Win Best Sunday Roast Award

The Roundhill won Best Sunday Roast in the Brighton Restaurant Awards, proving that “there is more to the perfect roast than goose fat potatoes.”

vegnews.com

I've not touched meat for 30 years and I can't say I've ever felt 'limited' by the food options available (apart from in some really shitty places/restaurants in the middle of nowhere, or extra heavy meat eating places in Europe).

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

There's also a whole new world of tastes you've most likely never tried before and there's never been so many excellent veggie/vegan restaurants, some of whom win awards over their meat-based rivals, e.g.

UK Vegan Pub Beats Out Meat-Based Competition to Win Best Sunday Roast Award

The Roundhill won Best Sunday Roast in the Brighton Restaurant Awards, proving that “there is more to the perfect roast than goose fat potatoes.”

vegnews.com

I've not touched meat for 30 years and I can't say I've ever felt 'limited' by the food options available (apart from in some really shitty places/restaurants in the middle of nowhere, or extra heavy meat eating places in Europe).

It is limiting, literally by definition.

 

[editor]

It is limiting, literally by definition.

If you regularly eat every meal and recipe known to exist in the world, yes.

 

[Funky_monks]

Yes and no. I’ve never disliked veggie food, and can happily eat it. But it’s just so… limiting. By definition, there’s a world of tastes and textures that suddenly aren’t available, which is the bit I struggle with.

I try to eat stuff that is as unprocessed as possible and with the shortest supply chains that I can afford on my salary.
That's my approach to eating/ health, but I have no issue with other people's being different to mine - which wasn't really what this thread was about anyway.

I do make some slight exceptions - things that give good "value" per unit weight (such as some spices and stuff). The highly processed things that I have difficulty avoiding are all plant based (bread, for example - I should make my own, but I have to balance life with work). I have a massive sack of rice, and recognise that it came a bloody long way.

Most of my meals are mostly made up of plants, and I grow the majority of my veg in my (quite small for a semi in the countryside) garden.

My main issues on this thread are:
1) Just eating plants is going to make much in the way of a meaningful reduction to climate change (which plants? How were they produced?)
2) Livestock are not the answer to farming sustainably, where there is quite a lot of scope to use them for this purpose.
3) That Livestock farming and cropping are somehow completely separate from each other (one being "good" the other "bad")
4) Unprocessed meat is linked to cancer (see my earlier review of research from The Lancet)
5) That massive polluters are using farming as a scapegoat and also buying up vast tracts of productive land to take out of production for offsetting (also governments incentivising this) especially with a food crisis looming
6) The massive misdirection away from fossil fuel use in transport and industry, to focus on the GHG emissions in farming (10% total from ag in the EU) which is essentially used to feed everyone.

 

[ddraig]

The vast areas of Spain covered in plastic polytunnels, the use of slave labour there etc is a good starting point.

Also, lots of the aforementioned meat processors are heavily involved with synthetic, plant based proteins.

Processors generally tend to use global supply chains and their purpose is mostly to add value, which is quite difficult to do with cuts of meat, this is where "convenient" highly processed foods come in.

Farmers tend to really dislike processors, as a rule - this includes meat and plant (milling consortiums etc) because their sole purpose is to screw the producer down on price as much as possible to make margins - Irish farmers and ABP is a good example of serious animosity between the two.

Wasn't asking you..... and no links or sources....

 

[Funky_monks]

Wasn't asking you..... and no links or sources....

I mean, you can have some if you like....

The Management of Agriculture Plastic Waste in the Framework of Circular Economy. Case of the Almeria Greenhouse (Spain)
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2021/02/14/plastic-sea-almerias-environme cantal-and-humanitarian-disaster/
Costa del Polythene
Campaign: The fight for agricultural workers' rights in southern Spain | Ethical Consumer

We can talk about palm oil too if you like, or soil loss due to tillage, or banana monoculture...........