Diana Rodgers, RD, is a “real food” nutritionist and writer living on a working organic farm. She runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and speaks internationally about human nutrition, sustainability, animal welfare and social justice. Together with Robb Wolf, Diana has created Sacred Cow, a documentary film and book exploring the ways regenerative agriculture can lead to better health for humans, animals, and ecosystems. Far from being the destroyers of land, she argues, cattle can help bring it back from desertification.
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Intro music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “I Wish I Was a Cowby” by S.E. Rogie; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.
I have to take issue with the idea that Brazilian farmers are only using cattle in the Amazon rainforest just to clear out the land for soy farming. Brazil is the #1 exporter of beef in the entire world (1.64 million metric tonnes in 2018), and all that meat is going to either Hong Kong, China, Egyptt and the EU:
https://www.cronista.com/internacionales/Brasil-batio-el-record-mundial-en-exportacion-de-carne-bovina-20190107-0045.html#:~:text=Brasil%20export%C3%B3%201%2C64%20millones,Exportadoras%20de%20Carnes%20(Abiec).
https://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/amazonas-estorbo-ganaderia_132_1376718.html
Good talk, we can all agree that industrial farming is horrible. When it comes to the question of should we eat meat at all, I find the argument that high skilled vegan debater Earthling Ed (check on youtube) keeps making, which is: is it right to kill an animal -if you don’t HAVE to- a good question. While recognizing that meat is very healthy, I also recognize that it is perfectly possible to be vegan, with a litte bit of supplementing and making sure you get enough iron and protein, which isn’t as hard as Diana suggests. Is it for the privilidged only? Probably, but we have to think about the best ways to feed 7 billion people anyway. And feeding 7 billion people with meat means killing a whole lot of animals.
I am blown away by the cowboy song. I am just starting the episode and we have 2 beautiful steaks to grill this evening. I hope it doesn’t make me feel too guilty. I fucking love your podcast. May good health and safe travels be upon you