Leslie Shimmin

Meat at one time was a status symbol, The rich had plates and plates of  meat at every meal to show off their wealth. Members of those societies would have it engrained in their cultural psyche that having meat at every meal, even if it was poor or off cuts, was a status symbol. These same societies have caste/class systems, acknowledged or not, that have all levels but the very lowest striving to be seen in a higher class. The very lowest classes may wish to raise above their current station, but when people are struggling just to survive they do not concern themselves with such trivial notions. Their only focus is to survive from day to day. The poorest countries usually have the vast majority of their populations in this lowest class. They have also historically been colonized and annexed by richer more powerful counties. When the colonizers evacuate, they leave a power vacuum which is usually filled by dictators and oligarchs, who cares nothing for their country or it's  people. These rulers generally have taken on the class bias of their previous rulers and continue to aim to be the richest in the land, usually at the cost of their own citizens. Often in these societies meat is too expensive or inaccessible for the general public to obtain, unless they are poaching, procuring "bushmeat", etc.  Many of these populations are historically agrarian and the only meat they would have access to was meat they raised or hunted. There are natural times to butcher and hunt that they would traditionally follow which means you are not eating meat every day all year long, let alone eating meat at every meal. The excessive desire for meat is destroying our planet. From deforestation in the amazon for cattle ranches to the waste created by thousands of animals kept in tight quarters to the chemicals needed to keep the animals and land they live/graze on "healthy" there are too many reasons to list. The destroyed land effects everyone eventually, even on the other side of the planet. Our bodies are not meant to process the amount of meat we consume which leads to a whole host of  health problems, not to mention the health concerns caused from the chemicals and production waste of the meat and those caused by contaminated meat processed in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. There are so many factors at play with our relationship to meat, it is hard to know how to unravel it all or where to begin. I think current social push to have more meatless meals is great, but I wonder if it is too little too late. I also wonder if it will catch on the extent needed for our planet and our own health. The powerful lobbyist for meat producers and their supporting industries will do anything in their power to keep the majority of the population in their counties from thinking it is okay or actually healthy to eat less meat as it will affect their profits. I am hopeful that more people will realize the damage eating meat at every meal causes to their bodies, communities and the planet at large.