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Greenpeace Shows What Costs Meat Consumption Causes for the General Public

Conventional meat production causes environmental damage for which the general public pays. That’s what Greenpeace says in a new study – and calculates how expensive meat should actually be.

Factory farming produces a lot of liquid manure that ends up on fields as fertilizer. The problem: There is too much manure and the soil is over-fertilized, which is why our groundwater is polluted with nitrate. In order for the water to be drinkable, it must be cleaned. The water suppliers take care of that, they bear the costs for the water purification.

This is just one example of how the meat industry causes damage that it ultimately does not pay for itself – this is referred to as “external costs”. According to a new Greenpeace study, the consumption of beef and pork in Germany causes 5.91 billion euros in such costs each year, which the general public has to pay for. Most of the costs are caused by pork (73 percent).

Environmental and climate damage caused by meat production

The 5.91 billion euros annually are made up of various types of damage, such as:

Greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis
Destruction of rainforest for animal feed
Water bodies polluted by fertilizers and pesticides
deterioration of soil quality
If the meat producers had to bear the “true costs” themselves, meat would be significantly more expensive. According to Greenpeace, pork should cost twice as much: an average of 3.04 euros per kilogram instead of 1.52 euros. Beef would be about half the price: 5.33 euros per kilo instead of the previous 3.50 euros. The external costs of meat imported from South America are even higher.

Greenpeace: The costs should be borne by those who cause them

In the study, the authors also compared conventional meat production with organic. The result: The ecological variant causes significantly less damage – and thus also lower external costs. If all companies would only produce meat according to ecological standards, more than two billion euros could be saved. Nevertheless, organic meat would also have to be more expensive so that the general public no longer pays – pork by 23 percent, beef by 50 percent.

“Anyone who consumes at the expense of third parties harms the general public,” says Greenpeace agricultural expert Martin Hofstetter. “Because supermarkets want to lure their customers with cheap meat, others have to pay a high price.” Greenpeace calls for political measures according to the “polluter pays principle”, i.e. those who pay for the damage they cause: meat companies and meat consumers: inside. This is possible, for example, through increased taxes on meat or a CO2 tax.

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Cooking Tips

11 General Tips for Cooking a Juicy Steak

Mastering the art of making juicy and mouth-watering steaks is easy. The main thing is to strictly follow several rules and remember the difficulties that both beginners and regulars of the kitchen may encounter.

  1. The steak should only be prepared with fresh, chilled meat. The meat is usually brought to room temperature before frying. If the steak has been frozen, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Wipe the meat dry before starting the cooking process.
  2. The width of the meat is also very important. Ideally, this is a piece of 2.5 to 4 centimeters.
    If you cut the meat yourself and at home, then it is worth remembering one simple rule: cut it strictly across the fibers.
  3. For steak, use a heavy skillet or grill pan. They make it easier for you to control the temperature and the frying process in general.
  4. It is important to preheat the pan correctly. It should be very hot, but not smoke. Otherwise, the meat will burn on the outside before it can cook on the inside. The steak should sizzle as it touches the surface of the pan.
  5. It is better to start frying meat at high temperatures, and then switch to lower ones. This will ensure even roasting and prevent the meat from losing its flavor and color.
    Typically, cook a medium-rare steak for 4 minutes on each side. Meat with the blood takes 1-3 minutes.
  6. Fully fried steak is fried for 3 minutes on each side over high heat and then cooked until fully cooked for 6-8 minutes. However, you should still carefully monitor the meat, because the cooking time can vary depending on several factors.
  7. The steak can be flipped frequently. This will ensure even frying, and the edges of the steak will not dry with this technique. If you decide to turn it over rarely, only 2-4 times during the cooking process, then the final result will be a beautiful lattice pattern. However, only if you are grilling the steak.
  8. You can check the readiness of the steak with your fingers. To do this, lightly press down on the steak with your fingertip. The bloody steak is soft and pliable to the touch; well done – hard; medium roast is a cross between the two previous options.
  9. After the meat is ready, you need to remove it with special cooking tongs and leave for 10-15 minutes.
  10. If you are afraid that the steak will cool, then use food foil. You should not neglect this rule, because this is the only way to get a really juicy, mouth-watering, and delicious dinner.
  11. The steak is best served on warm plates. Knives must be sharply sharpened.
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Cooking Tips

9 General Salad Cooking Tips

Very important tips that will definitely come in handy!

  1. Any vegetables are suitable for salads: fresh, boiled, pickled, salted, as well as fruits (fresh, canned, dried). For meat salads, boiled meat, eggs, ham, sausage are used.
  2. When preparing salads, vegetables are thoroughly washed: roots – with a brush, lettuce, spinach and sorrel – in a spacious dish in cold water “afloat”. The water is changed several times, while taking out the leaves.
  3. The salads are served nicely and neatly to whet the appetite. Place them in a salad bowl or on a dish without pressing or smoothing the surface.
  4. The components of the salad are cut into small slices, cubes, strips; radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes – in circles.
  5. The salad is first mixed with sauce or dressing in a bowl or saucepan, and then transferred to a salad bowl so that the edges remain clean. The finished salad is poured on top with the remnants of the dressing and decorated.
  6. The components of the salad can be placed in a salad bowl or dish in layers, without mixing them, and pour the sauce on top. It depends on the type of salad.
  7. Beans for salad will cook faster if you add a little sugar to the water.
  8. If raw onions are used in the salad, then it must be finely chopped, put in a colander, rinsed with boiling water and immediately cooled with cold water. This will make it tastier, and the unpleasant smell will disappear.
  9. Green peas for salad should not be boiled in salt water, as they remain firm for a long time.
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Cooking Tips

5 General Pizza Cooking Tips

Do you want to make pizza like in a pizzeria? We’ve collected tips to help you!

  1. Use a wooden baking spade or a thin, rimless baking sheet. You can also prepare your pizza on a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper on the back of the baking sheet. Then simply discard the pizza foil from this baking tray onto the preheated baking tray.
  2. Sprinkle a spade or baking sheet generously with cornmeal before placing the dough.
  3. Bake the pizza base without topping for 5 minutes. Press down large bubbles on the dough with a wooden spoon, then lay out the filling. You can fry the wet filling ingredients, such as spinach or mushrooms, a little, so that some of the water evaporates. (If using spinach, wring it out in a paper towel.) It is good to sprinkle the base with a thin layer of cheese before adding the sauce or brush the dough with vegetable oil before placing the filling. Place the filling on the crust just before baking. If the filling lies on the raw dough for a long time, it soaks the dough and the crust turns out to be unbaked.
  4. Wrap the base in foil or sprinkle generously with grated cheese. If the bottom of the crust burns, place the pizza on a higher rack in the oven. If the pizza burns on one side, turn it: the oven may not heat up evenly.
  5. Bake the crust without filling for 10-15 minutes, until the dough rises slightly and is browned. Add the filling and continue baking.
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