changing the way you eat

geordie_joe

Pandora123 wrote: »

I guess it depends on an individual's personal ethics as to whether it is "worth it" or not. Cruelty to living, sentient creatures bothers some people a lot, some a little and others not at all. Someone whose conscience is pricked by knowledge of the miserable lives of intensively-farmed animals will probably feel 50p per head is a bargain. Others would not pay an extra pence for ethically-produced meat.

Anyone who is bothered by the suffering of intensively-farmed animals, yet continues to support the industry by buying meat from those animals is a hypocrite, IMO.

I agree with you, but I was only having a dig at the way he managed to turn the people from thinking a free range chicken is £2 dearer to thinking in terms of 50p per head. The actually chicken is still going to cost £2 more no matter how many people are in the family.

geordie_joe

lightisfading wrote: »

Much of the extra cost is in labour - a non organic vegetable will have been sprayed with huge amounts of pesticides and weedkillers, whereas the organic one will have been well... weeded!

Yes but the weedkiller and pesticide etc. cost money, as does the huge machine that does the spraying. Did I mention the diver? Most non organic veg are shipped half way round the world to be "cleaned up" Cabbages go to Poland to have the outer leaves removed, turnips to be washed and graded etc. Then they are shipped back. Ad on all the different companies the veg goes through, who are adding a bit to the price to make their profit and you find it still costs less than a veg the farmer takes five miles to the local farmers market.

lightisfading wrote: »

I know which one I'd rather eat....

I know what I would like to eat too, but I can't help thinking the price is artificially inflated because the growers know we will pay more for the produce.

lightisfading wrote: »

(oh yes, and by nature vegetables aren't perfectly spherical. Since you obviously cared about how you were 'made to eat meat' - ie natural path etc - you obviously realise this :rolleyes: )

The veg I used to grow never looked right and something always ate them before I did. I didn't mind this as I grew them myself.

newlywed

Pandora123 wrote: »

Anyone who is bothered by the suffering of intensively-farmed animals, yet continues to support the industry by buying meat from those animals is a hypocrite, IMO.

What if you are bothered and yet cannot physically afford to feed you family organic food due to the prices?

lightisfading

newlywed wrote: »

What if you are bothered and yet cannot physically afford to feed you family organic food due to the prices?

don't eat meat at all?

Pandora123_2

newlywed wrote: »

What if you are bothered and yet cannot physically afford to feed you family organic food due to the prices?

If you are swapping organic for non-organic meat then it will cost more. A couple of ways around this: one is to keep your grocery bill the same by buying less meat and more alternate protein sources like beans and lentils (which are cheaper than non-organic meat), or perhaps by buying fewer "treat" foods like sweets, crisps, fizzy drinks etc. Another is to increase your grocery bill by cutting back on things like alcohol, TV packages / TV license (a lot of programs can be watched online now), internet, mobile phone, etc.

:A

newlywed

lightisfading wrote: »

don't eat meat at all?

I think that's a decision you are able to make for yourself but if you are responsible for feeding a family then you can't force that decision onto them because you no longer want to buy cheaper meat. Personally I never buy "value" meat but don't buy organic either, except for organic free range eggs.

newlywed

Pandora123 wrote: »

If you are swapping organic for non-organic meat then it will cost more. A couple of ways around this: one is to keep your grocery bill the same by buying less meat and more alternate protein sources like beans and lentils (which are cheaper than non-organic meat), or perhaps by buying fewer "treat" foods like sweets, crisps, fizzy drinks etc. Another is to increase your grocery bill by cutting back on things like alcohol, TV packages / TV license (a lot of programs can be watched online now), internet, mobile phone, etc.

:A

Good tips there thanks. But we have already had to bulk out meat with beans lentils etc to cut costs and never buy fizzy drinks. Alcohol is maybe one bottle of wine every 2 months - so wouldn't even cover an organic chicken a month. However, I may consider how much price difference there really is for some of the organic options.

morg_monster

Do people who buy organic free range eggs ever consider that other foods they buy with egg or egg powder as an ingredient undoubtedly used regular battery eggs? This just occurred to me - I buy free range but never thought before that when I buy bakery products or pasta I'm sure it isn't free range.

At the end of the day, there isn't enough room in the countryside for organic free range farms to supply the whole country's egg demand. there will always have to be battery eggs or the so called "free range" eggs that don't sound too great either. Isn't that a variation on malthusianism or something?!

lizimuffin

hi everyone,

having had a quick look over the thread.....i agree you do have be careful as some things are not as 'free range' or 'organic' as they seem, but in my experience free range eggs are about 50p dearer then barn eggs, and chickens are about are £1-2 dearer, but if we becaome more economical about what we do with our food then the cost really does equal out.....ie i will buy a free range organic chuck for £4 (or so) and i will get 2 main meals, a few sandwiches or lunch and then use the bones to make stock for soup....so potentially 6 meals for 4 quid i think that pretty good. and my concience is clear.

as long as you are vigilent and careful buying free range and organic can be a viable choice.

geordie_joe

lizimuffin wrote: »

chickens are about are £1-2 dearer, but if we becaome more economical about what we do with our food then the cost really does equal out.....

Are you saying people who buy non free range chicken waste food?

lizimuffin wrote: »

ie i will buy a free range organic chuck for £4 (or so) and i will get 2 main meals, a few sandwiches or lunch and then use the bones to make stock for soup....so potentially 6 meals for 4 quid i think that pretty good.

I do exactly the same with a £2 non organic/non free range chicken!