Roughly 1.5 billion people eat a plant-based diet. While some of those people choose to stop eating meat for moral reasons, for many others it’s a fact of life, because meat is either too expensive or unavailable where they live. On the flip side, we have the meat-eaters: It may be culturally important for some, or just an easier or tastier choice. But with the increased accessibility of fruits and vegetables as well as the meteoric rise of plant-based alternatives and lab-grown meat, is choosing to eat meat an act of cruelty toward animals? 

Okyeame Kwame, a Ghanaian musician and proud vegan, argues that people can get all of the nutrients they need from plants. Okyeame also emphasizes that in almost all cases, it’s immoral for humans to consume other sentient beings. Humzah Ghauri, a food blogger and halal restaurant consultant, says that eating meat in moderation is a healthy and natural part of humanity. While Humzah acknowledges that we have some work to do to develop more humane and sustainable farming practices, he contends that halal meat is a healthier and compassionate way to partake in meat-eating. Watch the Doha Debates Podcast as they try to find common ground on the ethics of eating meat and humanity’s relationship to animals.

Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates and FP Studios. This episode is hosted by Karen Given. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

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