7 000 litres of water for 100g of beef...

[dArKeR]

By Matt Moore

Stockholm - A report released on Tuesday warned that if more is not done to reduce the amount of water used to produce food, the effort to reduce the world's malnourished people would be jeopardised.

In the report, released by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) at the 12th meeting of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York, the scarcity of water was found to have a direct relation on the proper feeding of the world's people.

Entitled Water More Nutrition Per Drop, the study was launched by Sweden's government and produced with SIWI and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=qw1082454123682B235&set_id=1

[NMDemDist2]

1. yup vegetarianism is the best for the planet

water will be more precious than oil in 10 or 20 years

[Q3JR4]

2. Yet another reason why

I don't eat beef.

[dArKeR]

3. I think it's fare to have a documentary on the raising and killing of

a consumption animal such as a pig or cow. With all the details which were shown in the UK abortion documentary.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. What's the real issue here?

I think factory farming -- whether of plants of animals -- is the ruinous factor. The amount of water required to raise plants in modern conditions to maximize profit is also astounding.

We need to seriously consider a "return" to the system of small, ecologically sound farms. The scientific prowess now used to maximize profit at the expense of the environment could be used to make small farms more efficient with less resource abuse.

Beef steers used to be raised on the open range without needing enormous water supplies to be available on command; plant-based food used to be raised without needing custom-mixed chemicals and genetic modification (as well as huge amounts of water).

The modern vegetarian movement is missing a huge part of this issue. Even if we persuaded everyone in the world to stop eating meat, we'd have the same fundamental problems. Without attention to the ecology of all food production, we're headed for trouble -- within thirty years with vegetarianism, twenty-nine without.

--bkl

[Nihil]

7. Hear, hear!

> We need to seriously consider a "return" to the system of small,
> ecologically sound farms.

And the more local the consumer to the producer, the better it will be
for the environment too!

[NickB79]

5. 7000 liters? But water isn't destroyed when used to raise cattle

When you extract water from the ground to irrigate crops to feed to cattle, and to give to cattle directly, that is irresponsible groundwater depletion. However, when the same grain is grown irrigation-free and the cattle drink directly from streams or stockponds, how is that a waste of water? Water is a renewable resource in that it is not permanently destroyed by crop farming or cattle ranching if it is not groundwater-obtained. The water the cattle drink and eat in their crops will be released back into the same environment as perspiration and urine to re-enter the water cycle. It will evaporate, condense in clouds, and rain back down onto the farmland. Where is water wasted when cattle are raised in THIS particular fashion? It appears there can be responsible cattle ranching if done sustainably.

[Nihil]

6. Shhhh ...

Most vegetarians here don't like the idea of free-range meat either.

You can't go applying logic to distinguish between sustainable and
non-sustainable meat farming methods. It dilutes their message and
so cannot be allowed.

Personally, I agree that the chemical/hormone/drug-intensive factory
farming methods are bad - not only for the livestock but for the human
consumer - and as for the repugnant idea of feeding animal parts back
to non-carnivorous animals ... there is no justification whatsoever.

I quite like having one or two meat-free main meals each week and my
family are growing up with a liking for raw fruit & veg. That's our
choice and one we are happy with. The meat we do consume (chicken,
beef & lamb) comes from organic, free-range farms (some local, some not)
and I see no reason why I should become a herbivore just because someone
decided to play with their calculator.

Nihil

[opihimoimoi]

8. Now that this subject emerges, there is a small but growing concern

of over population and diminishing resources.

We need to be in a planetary sustainable mode/ but then that requires stability, which in turn requires Peace, Oh well, it was a thought.

[Superfly]

9. Farmed raised Tilapia

have the highest ratio of food intake to edible flesh produced for all the food fishes. I think I saw that in National Geographic or something, but I'm sure info exists on the net to back that up.

That's why I eat fish (the right fish) about 85% of the time...