From a moral standpoint, actions that harm others are not matters of personal choice. Murder, child abuse, and cruelty to animals are all immoral. Our society now encourages meat-eating and the cruelties of factory farming, but history teaches us that society also once encouraged slavery, child labor, smoking, and many other practices, which are now universally recognized as wrong.
Meat-eating is an act of violence and adds directly to the world’s hunger and misery. It takes 16 lb. (7.26 kg) of grain to produce 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of beef.
Thus, if consumed as grain, it could have alleviated the hunger of another six persons and saved the lives of innocent animals. In short, more food would be available to feed the world if most of us switch to a vegetarian diet. While many millions die of hunger annually and many more suffer malnutrition, worldwide one-third of all grain is fed to animals being raised for slaughter. In the USA alone, this proportion is over 66%. Converting grains to meat, wastes about 90% of grains’ proteins, 96% of their calories, and 100% of carbohydrates and fiber.
This is unnecessary and unethical. Awareness about world hunger, pollution, concern for the environment, and human welfare does not let meat-eating remain a truly personal matter.
