Recently a very learned person, FAO director general Jacques Diouf, made a doomsday prediction with a calamitous announcement that the World food stock reserve will last only 2- 3 months!
Combined with rise in international price of crude oil, it was like fuel to fire for already spiraling inflation here in India and probably at other places in the World as well. The American President ascribed the Global food grain shortage to rise in living standards of people in India and China. In turn several economists in the developing World were quick to blame Mr. Bush for diverting a sizeable proportion of land to Bio fuel production leading to a drop in food grain production..
Bickering and Brickbats continue but one thing is certain that we do have a problem at hands and very soon this problem of food shortage will be staring us at face if nothing is done immediately to address it. What can an individual do to fight something which appears to be an inevitable consequence of rising population pressure on a finite resource i.e. land?
It is presumed that around 7 tones of food grains are required to be fed to produce one tone of Beef, 4 tones for producing a tone of mutton and 2 tones to produce a tone of poultry, in short eating non-vegetarian food puts a greater pressure on land than does going vegetarian.
Besides, there are host of other health benefits to be got from vegetarian food; like being rich in anti-oxidants and roughage, relatively parasite free, no moral issues involved, and in general good for Heart and Health.
No Meat can match the healing power of fresh green vegetables and I guess we all have experienced the fresh and active feeling which follows a plant meal as compared to the dull and drowsy feel after a high protein non vegetarian diet
Therefore there is a very strong case for turning vegetarian as it is not only good for the ecosystem in general but also for the individual’s health directly.
The best thing about plants – and also the best way to have them – is by growing them on your own, if possible. A vegetable garden full of healthy vegetables is a sight pleasing enough for the senses, and the feel good factor is compounded when the healthy harvest adorns the vegetable baskets in the Kitchen.
Personally I feel that food habits, like religion, are a deeply personal issue, and it is nobody’s job to tell anyone on what to eat; but the changing world equations have forced us to give the issue a thought and as a nature lover, I’ll always have a strong bias towards vegetarianism.
Combined with rise in international price of crude oil, it was like fuel to fire for already spiraling inflation here in India and probably at other places in the World as well. The American President ascribed the Global food grain shortage to rise in living standards of people in India and China. In turn several economists in the developing World were quick to blame Mr. Bush for diverting a sizeable proportion of land to Bio fuel production leading to a drop in food grain production..
Bickering and Brickbats continue but one thing is certain that we do have a problem at hands and very soon this problem of food shortage will be staring us at face if nothing is done immediately to address it. What can an individual do to fight something which appears to be an inevitable consequence of rising population pressure on a finite resource i.e. land?
It is presumed that around 7 tones of food grains are required to be fed to produce one tone of Beef, 4 tones for producing a tone of mutton and 2 tones to produce a tone of poultry, in short eating non-vegetarian food puts a greater pressure on land than does going vegetarian.
Besides, there are host of other health benefits to be got from vegetarian food; like being rich in anti-oxidants and roughage, relatively parasite free, no moral issues involved, and in general good for Heart and Health.
No Meat can match the healing power of fresh green vegetables and I guess we all have experienced the fresh and active feeling which follows a plant meal as compared to the dull and drowsy feel after a high protein non vegetarian diet
Therefore there is a very strong case for turning vegetarian as it is not only good for the ecosystem in general but also for the individual’s health directly.
The best thing about plants – and also the best way to have them – is by growing them on your own, if possible. A vegetable garden full of healthy vegetables is a sight pleasing enough for the senses, and the feel good factor is compounded when the healthy harvest adorns the vegetable baskets in the Kitchen.
Personally I feel that food habits, like religion, are a deeply personal issue, and it is nobody’s job to tell anyone on what to eat; but the changing world equations have forced us to give the issue a thought and as a nature lover, I’ll always have a strong bias towards vegetarianism.
