Vegans causing poor people to be priced out of quinoa market

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 18 Jan 2013, 10:01

There is an unpalatable truth to face for those of us with a bag of quinoa in the larder. The appetite of countries such as ours for this grain has pushed up prices to such an extent that poorer people in Peru and Bolivia, for whom it was once a nourishing staple food, can no longer afford to eat it. Imported junk food is cheaper.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 18 Jan 2013, 10:38

So, you can only eat quinoa if you're vegan?

re · Post by re » 18 Jan 2013, 14:48

Read the footnote mate:
"• This footnote was appended on 17 January 2013. To clarify: while soya is found in a variety of health products, the majority of production - 97% according to the UN report of 2006 - is used for animal feed."

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 18 Jan 2013, 14:54

I know.

The DODGY TAX AVOIDERS rainforest is being eaten by meat-eaters and they have the audacity to criticise vegans?

What's more, consuming farmed animals means consuming GMOs big time.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 18 Jan 2013, 16:18

Meat eaters, vegans, a cold and desperate Greek father chopping down a tree to keep his family warm, a gas-guzzling petrol-head who doesn't give a shit.....

....none of it matters.

Not while there are still 7 billion of us. We're still going to hell and we're still going to drag the rest of life there with us. In truth, hydrocarbons have allowed us to pretend, for a while, that we were not in massive overshoot as a species in relation to our planet's carrying capacity. When the hydrocarbons go, we get to find out how utterly untenable our human population really is and always has been. We get to see Easter Island played out on a planetary scale.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 18 Jan 2013, 16:52

Steve, don't go all negative on us. You, more than most, have a handle an stuff. Initiate, don't give up.

JavaScriptDonkey · Post by **JavaScriptDonkey** » 18 Jan 2013, 19:12

stevecook172001 wrote:.

....none of it matters.

In truth, hydrocarbons have allowed us to pretend, for a while, that we were not in massive overshoot as a species in relation to our planet's carrying capacity

+1

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 19 Jan 2013, 11:02

re wrote:Read the footnote mate:
"• This footnote was appended on 17 January 2013. To clarify: while soya is found in a variety of health products, the majority of production - 97% according to the UN report of 2006 - is used for animal feed."

Soya, read the article mate.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 19 Jan 2013, 21:42

If vegetarianism can lead to genocide, just think where veganism could lead *shudder*

re · Post by re » 19 Jan 2013, 23:59

Kentucky Fried Panda wrote: Soya, read the article mate.

I did read the article, mate, unlike you, who obviously didn't get beyond the headline. The article talks about soya and quinoa.

Here's a quote
"Soya, a foodstuff beloved of the vegan lobby as an alternative to dairy products, is another problematic import, one that drives environmental destruction [see footnote]. Embarrassingly, for those who portray it as a progressive alternative to planet-destroying meat, soya production is now one of the two main causes of deforestation in South America, along with cattle ranching, where vast expanses of forest and grassland have been felled to make way for huge plantations."

And the next day they added "97% of soya is fed to animals for meat" Oh, you mean the meat that vegans don't eat

And what the hell is the vegan lobby - when did eating become lobbying?

The premise of the article is too ridiculous for words. I think about 2% of people in the UK are vegans - they must be eating a shitload of quinoa if they are pricing the locals out of the market. But like Steve said we're all fecked anyway. Nothing matters.

raspberry-blower · Post by **raspberry-blower** » 20 Jan 2013, 12:08

Here's a Bolivan perspective:

Aldo wrote:I am bolivian, and Think the title of these article is stupidly sensationalist.
The article itself tends to be accurate and it is trying to show what is happening in my country, but the author (Mrs. Judy Molland) hasn't forgot to still use some sensasionalist words on it. As a bolivian who was born in the Andes (La Paz), middle class, I am eaitng quinoa since I was born. The totally truth in this article is that quinoa is A WONDERFUL FOOD IN THE WORLD. Actually the bolivian government is implemmenting a breakfast in poor schools based on quinoa. Poor people in all over the world (unfortunately) cannot afford MANY things, quinoa is just one of them. Most of the time is not due because the poor people don't have money, is just iggnorance about what a native products contains. Please Just believe 50% of this article.
Thanks for your time.

Comment in this article

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 20 Jan 2013, 16:56

[quote="stevecook172001"]..........a gas-guzzling petrol-head who doesn't give a shit.....

....quote]

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 20 Jan 2013, 18:39

ziggy12345 wrote:
stevecook172001 wrote:..........a gas-guzzling petrol-head who doesn't give a shit.....

....quote]

Has Steve discovered my plans for a V8 Mad Max style interceptor?

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 20 Jan 2013, 18:50

YEAH!!

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 20 Jan 2013, 19:02

Needs more vodka to be palatable.