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Spaniards eat a disproportionate amount of meat, and that has left the country’s ruling coalition divided. One leader is concerned about the harmful impact of so much meat consumption on health and environment. Another, backed by the prime minister, doesn’t see anything wrong in Spain’s food habits.
Consumption Minister Alberto Garzón has been talking about the ills of animal-based protein. Agriculture Minister Luis Planas has termed his Garzón’s campaign “unfortunate” and “unfair”. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has intervened in the debate, in favor of meat lovers.
https://apnews.com/article/health-environment-and-nature-government-and-politics-europe-lifestyle-c199dcc78df27178dec358ed8b828b03
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57766345
https://www.thelocal.es/20210708/eat-less-meat-minister-calls-on-spaniards-to-cut-down-on-carnivorous-habits/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/08/spanish-ministers-eat-less-meat-plea-meets-resistance
“To me, if you give me a rare, ribeye steak… that’s unbeatable,” Sánchez rushed to clarify, though he was on an official visit to Lithuania on Thursday. [https://twitter.com/el_pais/status/1413105862424633352]
A day earlier, Garzón (from the far-left United We Can, a junior coalition ally) had posted a video message on social media [https://twitter.com/agarzon/status/1412715352325246990], urging people to avoid meat as much as they can. “I’m worried about the health of our citizens and the health of our planet,” he said. [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51210622] He then cited data of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization: At 98 kilograms per person per year, an average Spaniard is the top meat eater in the continent, whereas the average for the European Union is 76 kilograms. Beef production requires very high amounts of water and releases greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
The agriculture minister wants him to be pragmatic, as this industry is worth about $11.8 billion and contributes a fifth of Spain’s exports. Planas said, “Livestock breeders don’t deserve this. The industry is being subjected to profoundly unfair criticism and deserves respect for the honest work it does for all of us in food and in the economy.” Industry associations meanwhile have joined hands against the Consumption Ministry’s “libelous” campaign with an open letter. [https://www.agronewscastillayleon.com/carta-abierta-del-sector-ganadero-carnico-al-ministro-de-consumo-alberto-garzon]
While some research shows health benefits of the plant-based diet, Spanish people take pride in the wholesomeness of their famed Mediterranean diet – otherwise why would they be placed third in the world in terms of longevity?
Also read:
Meat and Environment
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/why-meat-is-bad-for-the-environment/
https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/what-is-the-climate-impact-of-eating-meat-and-dairy/
Meat and Health
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/health/red-meat-heart-cancer.html