> Is Veganism Really the Answer? Directed by Our Changing Climate, 2023. YouTube, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwYoe-0ncVk>. # Is Veganism Really the Answer? - Capitalism - Meat industry epitomizes ==commodization and exploitation== - Profit-driven, squeezing costs as much as possible - Buy up, invest, exploit - In the US, 4 companies own 85% of the meat-packing business - Oligopoly - 300% increase in profit margin during COVID-19 - Early 20th, same thing, but Congress made the share of the 5 meat-packers tumble to 25%, until Reagan deregulated the market again - ==More concentrated, more destructive practices== - Ranchers have no say in prices - Worker exploitation - 2 amputations of workers every week, 4 serious injuries / week for $16.94 - Mechanization of meat-packing assembly lines makes it hard to care - Environmental impacts - ==Nutrient runoff from animal agriculture== -> gulf of Mexico -> algae bloom -> decomposition -> lack of oxygen -> dead zone - 415 dead zones across the worlds fed by animal feed and manure - Methane emissions from cow farts -> animal agriculture: 16.5% of all GHG emissions - 75% of US cropland is dedicated to animals - ==Inefficient: 100kcal for a cow -> 2kcal out== - Grass-fed beef has less impact, but still more than plants - Substantial land use -> amazon deforested for cattle land - Driver of 6th mass extinction -> wild animals come to cities -> pandemics - Is veganism a solution? - Plant-based diets require less land and emissions… - But ==veganism is a consumer solution for a production problem== - Plant-based market is dominated by meat and dairy companies - Imperialist tainting: peasant ranchers shouldn't be held accountable - Environmental food system? - Animal-free diets are growing in popularity… - But meat industry still makes record profits - Need a holistic approach to our food system - ==Transition from animal agriculture to plant-based== - Those closest to meat production have the most power: meat laborers - Apply global pressure on meat industry