Meat and Livestock Australia Spring Lamb Campaign
Meat and Livestock Australia promoting a known carcinogen
“While red meat is widely promoted by health professionals as an excellent source of dietary iron, its consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, including colorectal (bowel) cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. Our nation’s love of barbecuing red meat also results in the production of harmful chemicals which are associated with an increased risk of cancer.”
– Lucy Taylor APD AN, Clinical Dietitian, Bloom Nutrition and Diet Solutions
On the one hand MLA is praising the saving of lives through the early detection of skin cancer at the same time as encouraging the very product that increases the risk of other types of cancer. If they were genuinely concerned for the health of people they would not be encouraging the consumption of known carcinogens but instead be encouraging people to adopt a plant based diet.
“Those who eat a varied plant-based diet are at no higher risk of iron deficiency anaemia than non-vegetarians” [2]
For plant based sources of all the necessary requirements of iron, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and iodine please visit http://melbournesheepsave.org/plant-based-alternatives-to-animal-products/
The environmental impact of eating Spring Lamb
Meat and Livestock Australia praises the environmental efforts of the “legend” Pete Ceglinski, who promotes the environmental awareness of cleaning our oceans. The contradiction seen here is that MLA is one of the leading causes of the environmental destruction of this earth through their contribution to climate change.
“The destructive impact of animal agriculture on our environment far exceeds that of any other technology on Earth…The greenhouse gas footprint of animal agriculture rivals that that of every car, truck, bus, ship, airplane, and rocket ship combined” [3]
The animal food industry contributes to approximately 30% of greenhouse emissions. This includes around 11% from livestock emissions and 17.8% from livestock deforestation. [4]
When this is combined with the fact that in Australia we use more than 70% of land for animal agriculture (compared to less than 1% for cities and mining [5]) it seems that MLA are on very unstable ground when it comes to promoting environmental issues.
The suffering that Meat and Livestock Australia keeps hidden
Meat and Livestock Australia, an industry built on animal slaughter, would have us believe that the business of animal farming is performed humanely. What MLA fails to bring to light is the suffering lambs and ewes endure, not only prior to the Spring Lamb Campaign, but throughout the entire lambing season.
Lambs
10 to 15 million newborn lambs die every year during the first 48 hours of “life” on Australian farms. Largely born across the freezing nights of the Australian Winter, they die of various causes including malnutrition and exposure. The lambs who survive past the initial stage of life are subjected to a traumatic and painful marking process, at as young as 2 weeks of age, that includes:
- Tail docking without anaesthetic
- Castration (for males) without anaesthetic
- Ear tagging without anaesthetic
Excluding the number of lamb who die between 48 hours and slaughter age (between 6 to 8 months) the total number of young lives lost is a staggering 31 – 36 million annually.
Ewes
- Ewes are selectively bred to have multiple births placing an unnatural strain on their bodies
- Ewes are often undernourished, particularly in current drought conditions, with farmers being unable or unwilling to supplement their feed. This makes it even more difficult to give birth to healthy lambs let alone look after them
- Countless ewes die a slow, agonising death during the birthing process or shortly after
A more detailed description of the issues involved in sheep farming can be read at http://melbournesheepsave.org/the-issues-2/
Is Spring Lamb really the “meat that brings people together”?
Meat and Livestock Australia have whitewashed this industry with lies and deception because, if the truth were known, MLA would cease to exist.
Rephrasing MLA’s campaign statement “the meat that brings people together” to the more truthful version “the slaughter of 6 to 8 month old babies brings people together” more accurately reflects the immeasurable suffering of every lamb endures throughout their short life.
When you accept that a plant based diet is better for your health and that of the environment, in addition to reducing the suffering of animals, then the only morally acceptable decision is the adoption of plant based diet.
References
[2] https://www.doctorsfornutrition.org/
[3] https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/tackling-worlds-most-urgent-problem-meat
[5] Gerrard Wedderburn- Bisshop Freedom of Species interview, 7 October 2012
[6] http://melbournesheepsave.org/plant-based-alternatives-to-animal-products/
Photo credits
eatplantbased.com
wilderness.org.au