Talia Raphaely

Flexitarianism: A More Moral Dietary Option

It is morally impossible to justify the power wielded by the livestock industry. This paper describes the human, ecological and animal welfare concerns caused by excessive meat production and consumption, including climate change, water depletion and degradation, land misappropriation and degradation, rainforest destruction, biodiversity and rapid species loss and the significant threats and challenges presented to human health and wellbeing. It offers flexitarianism (flexible or part-time vegetarianism) as a personal opportunity and moral responsibility to combat the destructive duplicity of the global livestock megamachine. Through personal nutritional paradigm shifts and the resulting food choices, individuals can reclaim the possibility of a more sustainable world and global society.

Reducing meat consumption: the case for social marketing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore reasons behind meat consumption. It aims to find out what motivates meat consumers and explore the opportunities of social marketing to counteract negative environmental and health trends. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory Australian survey of Sydney consumer red meat choices is used covering dietary preferences, meat eating patterns, reasons and levels of concern for economic and environmental issues. Analysis of dietary guidelines and marketing campaigns in relation to the survey findings is conducted. Findings The survey highlights: lack of awareness about the link between meat consumption and environmental well-being; widespread inaccuracy of health messages related to meat consumption; influence of the meat industry in promoting excessive meat consumption; pervasiveness of the link between red meat consumption and national identity, social status, prestige and masculinity; and urgent need for government-supported social marketing interventions and the demarketing of meat. Originality/value This is the first study to propose social marketing based on the health and environmental co-benefits of reduced red meat consumption.

Sustainability humanistic education: a new pedagogy for a better world

Sustainability is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, yet current educational system perpetuates rather than alleviates the threats. The history of the emerging area of sustainability education is reviewed, including brief discussion on educational discourses, namely: humane education, environmental education, ecopedagogy, education for sustainable development, education for a culture of peace and sustainability, participatory education and humanistic education. Drawing on their strengths and using examples related to climate change, sustainability humanistic education is described as an educational paradigm shift that releases individual potential to participate in a sustainability revolution. Three case studies showcase practical outcomes of this educational approach which empowers students to challenge the status quo, reject dominant practices and rather than assume existing positions in society, take the lead in creating a better world.

What Can We Do Better for Sustainability in an Uncertain Future

Sustainability is a significant challenge confronting a changing world. With an increasingly uncertain future ahead for human wellbeing, achieving, social–ecological sustainability is more than just a simple goal. The new imperative for natural resources management sheds is how to avoid the collapse of social–ecological systems as a result of external shocks triggered by climate change and anthropogenic perturbations. Building up resilient social–ecological systems is therefore an urgent issue for sustainability science. Using water resources management as an example, this paper discusses the need to introduce resilience thinking into sustainability science, how such a thinking should be incorporated into sustainability management for adapting to the growing uncertainties, and how social–ecological resilience can be enhanced.

The Future of Antibiotics and Meat

This chapter discusses antibiotic use in the livestock industry and potential ramifications for human health. Antibiotics are routinely administered to food animals, primarily at sub-therapeutic levels. The extensive use of antibiotics in global animal husbandry in quantities greater than used for humans is creating antibiotic resistance. There is evidence that antibiotic resistant organisms emerging in food animals transfer to humans through the food chain, environmental contamination, direct association with animals or through mobile resistant genetic elements resulting in co-resistance to other antibiotics. No new classes of antibiotics have been developed since the 1980s. Intensifying use of existing antibiotics for meat production poses new challenges for treating humans, needs to be taken seriously and dealt with urgently. This chapter argues that reduced meat consumption is an under-considered but essential part in any suite of solutions aimed at preserving the use of antibiotics for human treatment.