Culture Impacts

Minorities

Lower income neighborhoods are statistically inhabited by marginalized groups. In these areas specifically, industries and meat and dairy farms are placed. The smell, and the sight of animal murder is not as disturbing as the health risks on these populations.

Because of these industry kill shelters, the toxins and animal diseases make the lives of these populations miserable, with noted increases of asthma, cancer, water and food poisoning, and death.

Genetically, dairy does more harm to African-Americans than any other race. Not only is the animal industry detrimental to our own health, to promote dairy as part of a necessary diet creates an institutionalized oppression to people of color.

Women are typically told not to eat fish because of mercury contents when they are pregnant, but nothing is said about meat and dairy limitations. These impacts for women increase as well, and can affect their future children.

Consumerism

The age of consumerism creates advertising standards to label certain products in a way that distances the consumers from the effects and process. Burgers are called “Burgers” instead of “Dead Cow,” wonder why that is?

The US is the biggest producer of meat in the world, and farmers are subsidized by the government in an attempt to create more meat. This keep prices low and overall prioritizes the meat industry for economic purposes. The money that goes to these industries and farms is actually used to plant food, for our food. They don’t fund plant-based farms or organizations, which is why you see tiny salads cost more than a burger and milkshake. By taking the processing of meat out of the equation, the food planted for animals could provide safe food for all Americans.

Some restaurants in order to combat this stereotype, have given titles to their meat products with descriptions of the name of the animal, giving it an identity, in order for people to become more aware of the effects and their own personal habits.