Why is a human more important than a chicken? To who?

David, North West, UK

Set up by the RSPCA, Freedom Food is the only UK assurance scheme dedicate to improving the lives of farm animals.

Make the right choice - look for the logo when you shop. For more information please visit www.lookforthelogo.co.uk

Sophie, London,

I've known a few vegetarians and vegans, and they are far more puritanical than the average born-again Christian; in fact, only cultists are more harsh than the no-meat people. I've also worked at convenience stores and the waste of food is a serious problem. Some of the food really should be thrown out, though. Do you really want that day-old sushi?

MT, Jacksonville, Florida, US

"if animals weren’t meant to be eaten, why are they made out of meat?"

Great.. so you'd mean you'd eat humans, too? Or don't you think they're animals? If not, what are they?

I gave up meat completely when I read a book on the meat industry. My skin improved no end - previously, I'd been very spotty.

Nowadays, I eat it only very rarely and only when I can manage to forget the provenance of most meat - i.e. incompetent and dirty slaughterhouses.

Tina, Duesseldorf, Germany

The natural barrier against viral/bacterial/disease transmission between animals and humans, is being eroded, inexorably - some think due to meat-related activities - "more contacts, more the erosion of the barrier". The environmental consequences of large-scale "factory farming" of animals are no longer, figments of vegetarians' imagination. It is now scientifically estimable. To be reminded here - portions of mighty oceans "without shoals of fish", anywhere "top to bottom". Now, aggressive meat-fans may say, "What about large scale farming for grains and vegies? That too has its problems". Yes, indeed, but in a world of "evil choices", go for the lesser of them. Any how, is meat-protein a MUST for a human to remain healthy in body and mind? Do vegetarians die early, of mal-nutrition, because of lack of meat ? How many of us are prepared to justify, with a good feeling, the suffering we put animals through, for our culinery enjoyment ?; for our cosmetic appearance?"

Kris iyer, Wellington, Newzealand.

Keep a cow in a pasture. After a while the cow is killed for its meat - one animal dies.
Turn that pasture into a field and grow a crop of wheat and the death toll from ploughing, harrowing, sowing, crop spraying and harvesting (with a combine harvester) is enormous. Mice, rabbits, moles, fledgling birds and many 'lower' life forms get sliced, crushed, mangled, poisoned or generally have their day ruined.
Even meat eaters eat vegetables but those who would have us become entirely veggie should consider the increased cost in dead wildlife.

John, Thetford, UK

Maybe the Viet Namese have it right, but I can't remember that well because I haven't eaten a good Maine Lobster cooked in seawater and brought quickly to the boil for, oh,23 years! But I do know that the langoustine ( cray fish/ crawdaddy/ langouste, whatever) I had recently in Viet Nam was heaven! I guess they boiled the frog gradually, as well.

The Viet Namese could even get me to eat bananas: and I despise bananas. It's something about their texture!

We have to distinguish what we hate from what we are allergic to, does not agree with us etc. in this day and age. Why is a polite "no, thank you", not enough any more?

Carlyle Braden, Croydon, UK

There are not enough fish in the sea to meet demand. Domestic animals in the world contribute more to greenhouse gases than all the jet airplanes and cars put together. The way forward is for people to eat less meat more often. It's the only way forward. As a vegetarian, I try to encourage that. Places should have better veggie choices that would appeal to meat eaters. We must go veggie - at least some of the time -to save our planet.

Debbie Jones, London, United Kingdom

People are made from meat too.

Lostluthian, Sydney, Australia

Paul (March, UK) says that he can just as easily have a cheese sandwich, but you fail to appreciate that connection with the meat industry. Cheese is the by-product of the cows that give birth to calfs that are raised for slaughter. You can't have one without the other.

If anyone is vegetarian (I dont eat meat myself) and doing it for 'animal suffering' reasons, then they would not be eating dairy and eggs either.

Paul, Sydney, Australia

I agree with Jay Cee that eating meat is not the problem. The problem, though, is how the meat is usually produced. Jay Cee sees cows grazing happily on a pasture. Unfortunately, those cows will soon be brought onto feedlots where they will often have their horns painfully chopped off and be casterated without anesthesia. This is what I would like to see changed, and organizations like PETA.co.uk have made changes, though much needs to be done still.

Mark, New York, USA

The presumption that meat production involves cruelty to animals is facile.

The cattle I see are generally grazing very happily in green fields. If everyone was vegetarian they would not even be living.

So I am not convinced that veggie is a "noble calling". Become a veggie, exterminate cattle.

Jay Cee., Brussels,

American aren't obese because we eat meat. Americans are obese because we eat too much of the wrong foods. Why do we need to fry a Snicker's bar? Or an Oreo? Just because you can eat it doesnt mean you should. Its not rocket science: Eat reasonable quantities;prepare it in a healthy manner; get your fat rearend outside and exercise!!

mike, columbia, sc

I find that the size of many of my fellow countrymen is enough to curb my appetite for meat (or any other food, come to that)most of the time.

Bill Atkins, Rehoboth Beach, USA

Or you can choose to buy higher welfare foods instead.

Freedom Food have a stamp indicating animals which have had a better standard of living. They were was set up by the RSCPA and are the only UK assurance scheme dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals.

They also have a website www.freedomfood.co.uk

Sarah, London,

To save that precious chicken from severe suffering, just ring his neck and lay him flat on his back. That way he won't flop and spread blood all over your yard. Then plop him in a big pot of boiling water and pluck them feathers. It's faster to just skin him though. Then make good lunch meat out of him. Enjoy your chicken tonight!

Paul, Gordonsville, USA

Why can't we burn chickens as fuel? Cleaner than coal and less dangerous than nuclear. And we can always grow more chickens. Everybody comes out a winner.

Sam Deakins, Richmond , USA/KY

Free range chicken running around in my farmyard, scratching away at the dirt and pecking at stones. I sneak up behind him and with one swift blow from my trusty meat cleaver, remove his head. His body runs about a bit, but as his brain and therefore nerve centre are lying on the floor, he feels no pain. He is in fact, an ex-chicken.

I get chicken in my sandwich for lunch, the chicken has no suffering inflicted upon him. Wham! Everyone's a winner.

Now - go and eat some meat - I'm fed up of lifting your cutlery for you.

matt, london,

I might point out that having a cheese sandwich instead of a chicken one does in fact require the existence of a cow (assuming for the sake of argument you aren't using cheese made out of soya or whatever).
Your cow will have to have calves to lactate, and what are you going to do with the bull calves if everyone is a vegetarian?

I gave up meat for Lent (in 2007) and I've seen no need to restart. I lost eight kilograms in the first few weeks.

fiona mactaggart, bayford,

I think you're on to something here. Linking environmentalism with vegetarianism - the two planks of the new puritanism. It's amazing isn't it - the human need to feel guilty about something? Of course it used to be sex and then drugs, but now anything goes - spliff whilst dogging anyone - we look down our noses at eating meat and driving cars. Weird lot us people aren't we?

Bill, Sheffield,

"Believing that killing a chicken is the same as killing a human is one thing." I'm a vegetarian but I don't view the two lives as equal. If I, or any person, needed to eat chicken to live then I wouldn't hesitate, a human is more important than a chicken.

For me it is about unnecessary suffering. For example, I don't need to eat a chicken sandwich for lunch, I can have a cheese sandwich. In fact I can live without meat quite easily so it isn't necessary to inflict suffering on animals

Paul, March, UK