Peace-building

María de los Ángeles Tapias

Fraina Torres García

With this art project we aim to show what is beyond meat production and the consequences of it. Thus, we want people to realize that the meat we eat almost every day has a huge ecological impact on the environment. We are planning to do a poster of the meat production process so the people can be aware of all the things that have to be done for us to have meat, beef or hamburguers in our table. Our reflection lies in the next state: “It's more than just going to the butchery or the restaurant and asking for our favorite cut of meat”.

The main environmental effects of meat production are feed sourcing, greenhouse gasses, and climate change. Beef is currently the main cause of deforestation worldwide, accounting for 41% of tropical forest destruction. Due to raising meat takes large quantities of feed, millions of acres have been plowed over for large, monoculture crop fields destined to feed livestock. Tailoring natural habitats to agricultural fields generates carbon pollution, contributing to climate change.

The general tendency of greenhouse gas emissions associated with industrial livestock farming is growing globally. The food sector is responsible for 20-40 % of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Industrial meat has a high environmental cost. It not only accelerates climate change, but also the loss of biodiversity or the pollution of that increasingly scarce and precious resource that is water.

Luckly, we can take action now. We can demand the governments implement policies that garantized a sustainable ways of producing meat long term. Also, as individual consumers, we can reduce our meat consumption by making changes in our diet and looking for new alternatives, like tofu.

We want people to realize the huge negative impact that meat production causes on the environment and we want them to think about how the delicious image of meat on restaurant advertisements or food companies is just the pretty face of the meat industry. Our project is a “come around and check how it looks like to produce meat and what implies exactly” .

Have you wondered about all the things that have to be done for you to have your steak on the table?

Well, let’s find out:

Live animal handling and slaughter: here is where the animal is selected and sacrificed or killed to be processed

Blood collection: after that, the blood have to be collected from the animal away from the stick wound so it is the cleanest possible, then we find the

Pre-dehiding, udder removal and bung closure: as its name describe the udders of the animal are removed and the bung closed

De-hiding and head removal in this part the carcass may be stimulated during the process to prevent possible damage and the head is removed

Evisceration The stomach and organs are removed

Chilling and cooling this is necessary so unnecessary weight loss is avoid and also to preserve the meat

Cutting and deboning the carcasses are cut up, deboned, and trimmed

Source: me20_br_100_beef-processing_en_lr.pdf (marel.com)

(PDF) Meat Production and Consumption: Environmental Consequences (researchgate.net)