Is the U.S. any closer to ranking in the top 20 countries with the highest rates of vegetarianism?
In September 2019 the World Atlas reported that India ranked top in the world with 38% of the total population being vegetarians. In second place was Israel with 13% of the population. In third place was Taiwan with 12% of the population. Meanwhile, the U.S. ranked first place as the country that eats the most meat, at 265 pounds of meat per person per year.
A new survey by Yale and the nonprofit Earth Day Network reported that more than nine in ten Americans “are willing” to eat more fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, more than half are open to giving up some red meat and chowing down on more plant-based meat alternatives. When asked why they don’t eat more greens 58 percent said that a greener diet just costs too much.
Yet, despite the encouragement of environmentalist urging Americans to consume less meat to reduce the carbon footprint meat eaters have not budged. Not even the megaphone of the World Health Organization publicizing the link between cancer and excessive red meat consumption could encourage a shift. Even pop culture has chimed in with it’s slew of newly turned vegan celebrities the likes of Beyonce and Kim Kardashian. Yet, none of this has signaled the slightest nationwide rejection of meat.
A Gallop telephone poll concluded that nearly 23% of Americans reported eating less meat in the past year than they had previously. Additionally, 72% said they are eating the same amount of meat and 5% reported eating more meat this year than in the past.
So from this data, may we conclude that all the eat-less-meat messages are failing miserably at influencing Americans’ meat eating habits? Maybe or maybe not. Gallop goes on to report that more than a third of Americans (36%) have reduced their meat consumption saying they eat meat replacements such as plant-based burgers or sausages.
Perhaps the eat-less-meat message isn’t the prescription for influencing Americans to reduce their meat consumption. Perhaps it will be intensifying environmental health threats that threaten food supply. Perhaps it will be worsening climate change that finally urges a radical overhaul of the way food is grown, produced and eaten across the globe.
Either way, the U.S. continues to lead the pack in meat consumption while the U.S. ranking isn’t any closer to becoming a vegetarian nation. Though our current reality demands that the world’s diets must dramatically change such is not the case. Hence, the search continues as to the prescription for this unsustainable dietary preference.
What do you think? Is the U.S. any closer to ranking in the top 20 countries with the highest rates of vegetarianism?
