A group of nearly 1000 scientists from around the world have signed a declaration stating that meat is an essential part of human diets and that vegetarian and vegan diets are being pushed too zealously.
The scientists argue that livestock farming is too important to society to be a victim of such zealotry.
They warn that it is difficult to replace the nutritional content of meat, which provides essential nutrients and health-promoting compounds that are often lacking in diets, particularly among poorer communities with low meat intake.
The scientists also argue that unprocessed meat delivers most of the vitamin B12 intake in human diets, plays a major role in supplying retinol, Omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals such as iron and zinc, as well as important compounds for metabolism, such as taurine and creatine.
The researchers warn that those who need to eat animal products include young children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, women of reproductive age, older adults, and the chronically ill.
They caution against one-size-fits-all agendas, such as the drastic reduction of livestock numbers, which could incur environmental and nutritional consequences on a massive scale.
The intervention was welcomed by the National Farmers Union, which promotes the sustainability of British beef and the environmental benefits of grazing herds.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
