Eating ribs bad for health, environment - Mark Browning

I own a business in the downtown area, and am one of the many Sudburians that understand the positive impact events such as Ribfest can have to make our downtown a vibrant centre for all of us.

However, there are a number of issues that I believe go undiscussed with regards to the celebration of eating such quantities of factory farmed meats.

The following are some facts that I believe are critical when considering eating factory farmed meat: 

- Ninety-five per cent of pigs raised for meat come from factory farms. A vendor at the Ribfest told me that his meat came from Maple Leaf. 

- A typical pig farm will produce 7.2 million pounds of manure annually. In the United States, farmed animals produce 130 times as much waste as the human population. 

- The United Nations reports that agriculture, particularly meat and dairy products, accounts for 70 per cent of global freshwater consumption and 38 per cent of the total land use. 

- A 2006 United Nations report found that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Consequently, eating meat and dairy is the number one cause of global warming. 

- The United Nations and World Health Organization have established that “emerging zoonotic diseases” (eg. H1N1, Avian Bird Flu, etc.) are a direct result of the recent emergence of the worldwide factory livestock farming industry. 

- The average rack of smoky BBQ ribs will contain in the neighbourhood of 1,000 calories and 4,000 mg of sodium.

I am a vegan. I chose to change my lifestyle two years ago when I learned what a toll meat-eating takes on our environment, not to mention the unimaginable cruelty that is routine within the factory farming industry.

I don’t wish to preach to anyone, but I do think it is appropriate to encourage everyone to know what they’re eating.

As the saying goes, “you are what you eat,” and to some degree, I believe that what we eat defines who we are.

Ribfests are a dime a dozen in this country. Maybe next year, Sudbury should plan to change this event to simply a food fest, one which celebrates our heroic local farmers, whose wonderful bounty still remains largely unavailable at Sudbury’s large corporate grocery stores.

That would set a good example as a community thinking globally and acting locally.

Mark Browning
owner of
Cosmic Dave’s Guitar Emporium
Greater Sudbury