1. Have you ever considered becoming a vegetarian, or drastically changing the type of food you eat?
2. These are some of the reasons people give for being vegetarian. What do you think of each reason? (And can you elaborate on each reason?)
- moral
- religious
- environmental
- health
3. Do you know many vegetarians or vegans?
4. How do people generally react to vegetarians or vegans in your country?
5. Have you ever visited a vegetarian restaurant? What was the food like?
6. Would you marry a vegetarian if it meant you could not cook meat at home?
7. What arguments can you think of against vegetarianism?
Read infographic here: Meet Meat Reading
8. What is your reaction? Of the meat alternatives in the infographic, which is the most/least appealing? Which will be the simplest to implement?
9. Do you accept that the benefits of these food types outweigh any psychological discomfort we might have? Do you think that recent events have weakened public trust in laboratory-led innovations?
10. In terms of flavour and protein, what are your current favourite foods?
11. Will these food types be difficult to sell in your country? Does your cuisine make use of vegetarian dishes?
12. How would you feel if you were told that you could no longer eat meat?
13. "So much of our culture and language is based on the food we eat and when we eat it - these meat alternatives are the first step in the end of society as we know it." Do you agree?
14."During February 2013 it was revealed that many supposedly "beef" dishes sold in Europe contained varying amounts of horse meat. The public should welcome scientific advances in food production because the present food industry doesn't give a damn about what it sells." Do you agree?
15. Are you worried about 'Frankenfoods' i.e. genetically modified crops etc?
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Situation
Bill Gates (your teacher) has been invited to speak at your local town hall. The topic of his talk is 'A world without meat.' You are an audience member - ask Bill about the concerns you have about meat replacements.
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Discuss quotes
"All the food we eat - every grain of rice and kernel of corn - has been genetically modified. None of it was here before mankind learned to cultivate crops. The question isn't whether our food has been modified, but how."
- Michael Specter
"Many of the genetically modified foods will be safe, I'm sure. Will most of them be safe? Nobody knows."
- Jeremy Rifkin
“If you have to wear a hazmat suit to grow crops, why would you ever eat them? If you’re afraid of getting that crap on your skin, how much more insane would it be to put it in your mouth! Seriously?
- Steve Bivans
Student Handout PDF: Meet Meat