There are more and more documentaries being show on TV about our environment and how it is suffering under extreme demand for us to grow, grow, grow. If we’re just looking at the amazon rainforest which is getting chopped down more and more each year for wood, gold, meat and crops then you have to ask yourself why is it happening?

Surely if it’s as important as we say it is then we wouldn’t put the huge amounts of pressure on South America to provide us with these luxuries, we should be paying them to look after their surroundings for the greater good of humanity. It seems to easy to shift the environmental blame onto someone else and not think about the consequences, but sooner or later it’s going to come back and bite us on the bottom and then where’s there to turn?

Believe it or not, the biggest factor to the deforestation in the Amazon is due to cattle and agriculture due to the increase in worldwide demand for meat. I wish we could recognise how much of a luxury meat is to have in our diet and not exploit it. Fortunately though one of my food heroes Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has just written a book all about vegetables trying to raise awareness to the general public the importance of local, wholesome and seasonal vegetarian food. It’s a huge statement to come from such an influential chef who really does love his meat. Hugh is also a major leader in animal welfare and has run campaigns such as ChickenOut and Fish Fight truly inspirational documentaries on the treatment of chickens and the waste involved in deep see fishing.

If you’ve not yet signed up to supporting these campaigns then please take a bigger look into what he’s trying to achieve.

Over and out

EthicalChef