Janet Claims Vegans Talk Manure | Food

Date Published:: 13/09/2007

Janet Street-Porter loves to talk about food. And she was doing a lot of it for series 3 of the F Word. She tried to convince race goers in Newmarket to eat horse burgers and started a debate about whether force feeding geese to make foie gras was morally correct. In a series of exlusive features, Janet tells us what she really thinks about eating out, eating meat, eating ethically and more.

Janet Street-Porter writes

Is the Government about to go soft on our meat market? Surprisingly, this is one area where even the French have got it right

I have spent this series of the F word trying to persuade people to think a bit more about what they eat, and promoting horse meat which is a wonderful source of protein and iron. It is widely eaten on the continent, where it is especially bred for the table, and reared on an organic diet.

New legislation in France means that horsemeat is no longer just sold in special butchers, but is widely available in supermarkets, and sales are booming. Sadly, animal rights protestors in this country misunderstood our report, and very cleverly dumped a ton of horse manure outside Gordon’s restaurant in Claridge’s, Mayfair. That’s what I call a really sophisticated way of conducting an argument! Now a leaked email from an official working for the government at the Environment Agency shows sympathy for a vegan diet, and says that DEFRA is thinking about telling us we should eat less red meat in order to protect the environment.

Farm animals produce methane, one of the gases responsible for global warming, but you can’t tell me that a load of farting sheep, cows and chickens do more damage than a hundred factories in China! The vegan group Viva wants crops to be grown for human consumption, not used for animal feed, and amazingly, the Environment Agency official they contacted seemed to imply that the government was considering asking people to review their consumption of animal protein.

There are plenty of ways to save the planet without becoming a vegetarian, thanks very much, and it’s nauseating that one group of people, veggies, think that everyone who doesn’t agree with them should be targeted and vilified. So I shall carry on eating red meat, in moderation, and hope that the government minds its own business.

Yours

JSP.

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Well, Janet, if you'd spend only five minutes researching this subject you'd know it was the whole meat production process, (ie growing all the foods that the animals eat), not just "farting sheep" that adds to greenhouse gasses. Second, your entire "argument" is that you don't believe it, therefore it's not true ("you can’t tell me..."). No, actual, evidence or anything. Do you find that line of argument works for you generally? Seriously - who do you debate with where that kind of argument works? Third, your "There are plenty of ways to save the planet without becoming a vegetarian..." is a false dilemma - you can reduce meat consumption and do the other things. If this is the best case you can make, you should keep quiet on this subject in future. Right now you're an embarrassment to the rest of us.

Posted by Skeptico on 01/08/2009 19:34:45

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I find it strange you are surprised by the fact the government are considering telling people to review their intake of animal protein. Protein requirements can be perfectly satisfied by eating pulses, nuts, seeds, and grains. The body doesnt need alot of protein, you get plenty from eating a good healthy plant based diet. If crops were grown for human consumption there would be less people going hungry. If people ate less meat and dairy there would be less obesity, less people having heart attacks. Veganism is good for the earth, good for you, and should be promoted more as a healthy, cheaper, even tasty alternative to eating meat- all my meat eating friends love vegan food. Of course it is up to you what you do, what you eat, we veggies dont all shove our views in peoples faces. But before you say we talk manure dont you think you should first discover the other side to the story?? Read the New Ethics of Eating by Erik Marcus for starters. Ok so factories in China arent good for the environment, thats another issue altogether. But meat eating isnt good either. It would be nice for someone in your position to try being vegan, try it, try it - how about a programme?? you might even be pleasantly surprised!

Posted by betty on 29/07/2009 11:13:58

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I think the main concern, which JSP fails to address, is animal welfare. I wouldn't mind what meat I ate as long as I could be assured that the animal didn't suffer in either life or death.

Posted by Doctor Boox on 30/06/2009 20:16:24

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What's really nauseating is the thought of unneccessarily eating a slaughtered sentient being. Janet, you're out of line and out of your head if you think meat eating and animal consumption in the modern world is sustainable (or even justifiable) Sicerely A vegan.

Posted by Vegan on 01/03/2009 16:38:29

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What a shame, I actually feel sorry for you. Its bad enough to confine cows, pigs, sheep and chickens in factory farms, now you want to torture and kill horses so you can eat them, my God. I just don't understand where you get you morals from, or at least pretend to have a conscience. Eating animals is the reason we have such a vast array of chronic disease and obesity rate. Why over 70% of the American population is overweight or obese. Cardiovascular disease is at an all time high with over a million procedures done annualy. Cows and pigs are confined and tortured to the point of insanity. Chickens are factory packed with over a 100,000 birds in one shed, pumped full of steriods and antibiotics while living in their own feces while waiting to be slaughtered and now you say we should eat horses...WAKE UP

Posted by john on 30/10/2008 21:25:19

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PS: is it less nauseating that carnivores call the tune?

Posted by teemay on 02/10/2008 23:13:18

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not everyone wants to be 100% carnivore either, thanks very much, Janet. I really like your opinionated reporting style but it is a well known fact that humans need very little protein per day, maybe 4-5 oz (a quarter pounder), and protein can be derived from other products than meat (even vegetables!!). Don't get me wrong I like a nice steak, a portion of venison, a brace of pheasants, or the odd pigeon breast, as much as any other Janet or Gordon, but maybe we can do without 50% of it. Of course it would knock Gordon's profits a bit if this fashion were to take hold, but he could always try some mediteranean food (often doesn't include meat, so cheaper) and still charge a fortune for it, as well as converting sad and failing restaurants to semi-veggie food, which by the way, sells well in many countries (spaghetti con aglio e oglio, hummous, crostini, soups, salads of unexplainable variety, aisian food...). Plus it takes more acres (or hectares but maybe they're not in your vocab) to feed up your average beef herd than the same head of humans. You could branch out and do the veggie side of the coin in food progammes... Who knows you could gain a whole new raft of fans and save the nation from heart disease at the same time!! Then the land saved from meat production could be used to produce the biodiesel you and Gordon need to keep your 4x4s going!

Posted by teemay on 02/10/2008 23:05:38

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Janet defends meat eating

Janet Street-Porter writes

Is the Government about to go soft on our meat market? Surprisingly, this is one area where even the French have got it right

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