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Does vegan-friendly Indonesia need to feel guilty about eating meat because of climate change?
- Debate over meat consumption is in the spotlight in Indonesia, even though its cuisine offers a variety of affordable plant-based foods
- Activists say the debate is a good way to discuss the threat of climate change, as beef production creates a larger carbon footprint than plant-based proteins
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When an Indonesian radio station posted a podcast on Twitter and asked the question “Do you know your delicious meat contributes to climate change?”, it raised a ruckus among social media users.
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There were hundreds of comments pointing out that Indonesians already do not consume as much meat as their neighbours or those in the West, and should not be made to feel guilty for what little they ate.
In 2018, Indonesia’s annual meat consumption per capita was 11.6kg, lower than Thailand’s 25.8kg or Malaysia’s 52.3kg, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.
On the other hand, Western countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia consume 84.2kg and 111.5kg per capita annually, respectively.
What raised people’s ire was the perceived suggestion that Indonesians turn to plant-based meat alternatives, which are pricey in a country that was downgraded to lower-middle income status by the World Bank last year.
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