The curse of the Ecotarians

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Posted at 5:02PM, 20 July 2009 by Andy Lynes - Food writer

I've got nothing against vegetarians; I'm a part time veggie myself and often cook meat and fish-free meals for the family. I also have nothing against vegans, although their predilection for vile tasting soya milk makes popping round for coffee something of an ordeal.

But I do have a problem with ecotarians, whose diet is entirely determined by ecological considerations. What's good for the planet is good for their palate. So what could possibly be wrong with that that? Nothing, except I'm tired of bearing the weight of the entire world on my shoulders.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall wants me to care about chickens, while Jamie Oliver is desperate for me to think more about the welfare of pigs. Now ecotarians expect me to "consider the impact on the land of growing the product, the impact of transporting the product from where it was produced, and the labour conditions for the people who grow the product".

That's not just an unfair expectation, its an unrealistic one too.

creating a culture where consumer demand dictates how the world operates ethically and morally is a recipe for disaster...

For example, you might think that buying green beans grown in the UK would add less to your carbon footprint than opting for ones imported from Kenya. Not according to Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex and the man who coined the term 'food miles' along with his more famous college Professor Tim Lang.

In an interview for the now sadly defunct foodradio.com , Pretty stated that international food miles - the environmental costs of moving food around the globe - were "trivial" compared to domestic food miles and could be "largely forgotten".

So if we can't even rely on logic to guide us to a suitably ecotarian purchase, what information is there available to help us? The Carbon Trust have introduced a carbon labelling scheme that will "provide a measure of a product's carbon footprint (embodied GHG emissions) across its life cycle" but its not yet widely adopted.

And even if it is, creating a culture where consumer demand dictates how the world operates ethically and morally is a recipe for disaster, particularly in these cash-strapped times when for most people, price is a far more pressing concern that principles when it comes to deciding what to eat.

The treatment of employees and animals in the course of food production and the environmental impact of feeding the world are profound issues that can only be properly addressed at government level. It should not depend on what individuals choose to put into their shopping baskets.

So in protest of big business and government trying to offload the big, difficult decisions they should be making for all of us onto the overworked and under informed buying public, I'm starting an ideologically based food movement of my own.

We are the freakotarians and our mantra is 'eat whatever thou wilt shall be the whole of the law'. We'll scoff foie gras while flying down to Rio for lunch. We won't think twice about eating battery farmed chickens; all our veg will come from a central warehouse in Swindon and travel via Edinburgh to get to Brighton.

Freakotarianism will release you from the bewildering moral dilemmas that you pay politicians to sort out for you. Free your mind and your stomach will follow; delegate upwards and make food a pleasure rather than a source of guilt.

Comments

linda

20 July 2009, 9:54PM
linda

Sorry Andy ... I can't see what's so unfair about thinking about what you eat. Isn't the 'eat what you like' approach also to blame for the obesity crisis, as well as farming and environmental crises? Oh, and as for 'price over principles', it is time to stop pandering to the idea that 'good food' is only for the wealthy. A little thought makes a 'local food' budget go a long way.

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Tom secrets!

20 July 2009, 11:57PM
Tom secrets!

"...I'm a part time veggie myself.." part time doesn't work sorry!

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Nicola

21 July 2009, 8:04AM
Nicola

Yep, sorry, got to agree with the first comment. Yes it is confusing having so many different people telling you what to do and what to eat. I wouldn't say I'm constantly thinking about it, but so long as I get as much of my fruit, veg and meat as possible from local farms/butchers I think I'm alright. My veg box supplier does most of the hard work for me - sourcing organic, local produce. And then when things are sourced from out of the UK they are also organic and fair trade. It doesn't take that much time or effort to think a little about where your food is coming from and what impact that is having on the environment...and also what difference it makes in terms of taste and quality.

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Vegout

21 July 2009, 10:46AM
Vegout

I agree it maybe confusing to have so many things to think about but it is worth it to have a healthy and ethical diet. We have developed a system that is so environmentaly damaging and we have made gluttoney and lazyness into art forms, so manybe now it is time to take a wee bit of responsibility and try a little harder to have a healthier diet which does not do so much harm, and enjoy the health benifits as well. A part time veggie, it is like someone calling themselves a vegetarian and still eating fish not really possible.

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rozmorgan

21 July 2009, 10:59AM
rozmorgan

God no. Sorry, I don't think there's anything wrong about caring about what you eat and being ethical and no, it's not hard. Only seriously lazy people would think that way. Why don't you just admit you don't care about farmers and animals rather than trying to tell us it's too hard?

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miniminx

21 July 2009, 12:38PM
miniminx

I agree with all the comments above - I don't think it hurts to eat ethically; although I agree with the point the article makes about offloading the big decisions to consumers. You're right - the massive food conglomerates and the government are shirking their own responsiblities by not taking a stand on food environmental and ethical issues. But you're wrong about soya milk which is most definitely not vile - it tastes great, unlike cow mucus!!!

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DNA

21 July 2009, 11:19PM
DNA

Have to agree with the former posts, it is a nice idea in theory however the majority of people are coming around to the idea of respecting animals which give people a lot when they are, disposed of. I recall many supermarkets in the past year or so have had many sales of free range chickens and they could have chose not to buy free range, so I don't think most people have the same problem. This way of thinking certainly didn't do Delia any favors, so it certainly won't do a less known food writer for Good Food any either.

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pingfoodie

22 July 2009, 7:12PM
pingfoodie

<quote>We are the freakotarians and our mantra is 'eat whatever thou wilt shall be the whole of the law'. We'll scoff foie gras while flying down to Rio for lunch. We won't think twice about eating battery farmed chickens; all our veg will come from a central warehouse in Swindon and travel via Edinburgh to get to Brighton.</quote> Jerk-otarian, more like. Twitter what piffle you will about food-miles but ignoring animal welfare borders on the despicable. (In my view).

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MarieAlice

23 July 2009, 6:41PM
MarieAlice

I, too, beg to differ with you. I don't think there's anything at all wrong with being passionate about animal welfare and choosing to eat responsibly. I'd rather pay more and know that I am eating a happy pig or chicken, or cow for that matter, and ideally I prefer my fruit and veg to be seasonal and farmed locally if at all possible, and please, please organic. I like bent carrots and potatoes with bumps. No, I'm not rich, but I have a vested interest in the things I choose to put into my body.

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RibEyeGuy

23 July 2009, 6:53PM
RibEyeGuy

I'll join the freakotarians today! Having had every kind of vegan-vegetarian-ecological propaganda shoved in my face for decades, its getting a bit annoying. Reading all the braying and bitching above just reminded me of all the lectures I've been given over the years, and how sad and desperate these people are...

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Becks

25 July 2009, 10:59AM
Becks

I'm well aware that since this is the 17th comment, Mr Lynes' blog will be seen to have been a success. But please, no more contrived contentious nonsense like this just to promote web statistics. And RibEyeGuy, 'sad and desperate' are rather poor choices of adjective for those who would remind you that animals have a right not to suffer. But no doubt you're the kind of red blooded, macho man who also enjoys watching tethered bears dancing and bulls being gored by Spaniards with small-man complexes.

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me

30 July 2009, 12:40PM
me

I agree with both points of view! To an extent i am fed up of feeling guilty about what i put on my plate. On the other hand i think people should be aware of what they are buying but unfortunately i doubt that that will be enough to cause any kind of radical change to the way food is produced. Yes the government and all those big companies should be doing something about all this more so than the average person but we should all be aware and do what we can.

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Pippifer

1 August 2009, 7:33PM
Pippifer

I can only think you've posted this Andy because you have some masochistic desire to be pitied and reviled by all who read it. Such insulting disregard for both the food that you choose to eat and those who do not have the choices you have is frankly obscene. Thankfully, the rest of the posts I've read are by people who take their responsibilities seriously and make informed choices about the food they eat. Your deliberately confrontational message only serves to reinforce the ethical instincts of others, so you failed on both counts - we don't agree and we're even more determined to influence change with our choices.

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