Farmbrarian

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Ever since Frances Moore Lappe’s 1971 book Diet For a Small Planet, many have accepted as near fact that a vegetarian or vegan diet is the most environmentally friendly way to dine. Lierre Keith, author of The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice and Sustainability (2009), begs to differ. “Frances Moore Lappe says it takes twelve to sixteen pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. Meanwhile [farmer Joel] Salatin raises cattle with no grain at all, rotating ruminants on perennial polycultures, building topsoil year by year,” Keith states (5).

The author explains that our current model of industrial farming is unsustainable, but so is vegetarianism. Plants, she says, require the input of animals in some form (manure, blood and bones) or fossil fuel (ancient and finite organisms). Without some form of fertilizer, they won’t grow. Grains are generally the basis of a vegetarian diet and are most often grown in an ecosystem-destroying monoculture. Plus, people haven’t necessarily evolved to eat grains.

Keith was vegan for 20 years, believing of course that it was the healthiest option for herself and her beloved earth. Today she preaches about the dangers of such a lifestyle and discusses the health problems she experienced as a result. It is important to note that her main condemnation of vegetarian and vegan diets is on the basis of sustainability. Vegetarians can certainly lead healthy lives, but the author would prefer we eat as nature intended. For example, a cow grazes on grass inedible to humans then we eat the cow or drink her milk. Grass will not grow indefinitely on the pasture without animals. A system void of animals will in fact become no system at all in a short period of time.

Also included in the book is a deep condemnation of agriculture itself. She argues that humans were healthier as hunter-gatherers; a sentiment shared by others. When possible, and even when inappropriate, Keith makes clear her status as a feminist. The book would flow better without these odd interruptions. Conspicuously absent is any concrete recommendation on how we, a world of more than 6 billion, should acquire food given today’s circumstances.

On the whole, The Vegetarian Myth is a good read for anyone seeking answers on personal health and environmental sustainability. The arguments are persuasive, and for the most part, well rooted in biology. Keith shows courage by writing the book because her ideas, though not conventional in their wisdom, ring quite true.