I know that many of you will be signing up to go vegan this January, and whilst the movement has done a lot to highlight how healthy a plant-based diet is, and how poorly many animals are treated in order to satisfy our ever increasing appetite for meat, I ask you to consider a middle ground.
My last article for The Best of Lichfield was about the nutritional value of eating seasonally, and that is ever more appropriate this month. If you are cutting out meat and meat products for the entire month of January for health and environmental issues, which seems to be the biggest motivators, then where are your vegetables and fruit coming from? Is it good for the environment to ship them thousands of miles and then cover them in plastic? I don't think any of us would say that was the case. However as January is a pretty challenging month as far as variety for seasonal local fruit and vegetables, the chances are that this will be the case.
What about the local farmers or gamekeepers who care for their livestock throughout the year? Should we not consider the impact on this local industry? January is one of the best months to try local free-range meat as it's game season.
So I urge you:
Please eat a mostly plant based diet.
Please shop at our local farms and butchers.
Please support our amazing local restaurants that serve a variety of plant-based options.
Please chose the middle ground.
