Greenhero
#23– Reducing meat consumption w/ Co-founder of Reducitarian Foundation Brian Kateman
Welcome back to the Greenhero Podcast! Today’s guest is Brian Kateman, co-founder and executive director of the Reducetarian Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing meat consumption with the aim of creating a more healthy, sustainable, and compassionate world. He’s the author of “Meat Me Halfway” and lead producer of the documentary under the same name.
As a child, Brian always had an affinity for the natural world and the animals that inhabit the wild. As he grew into a young adult, he became somewhat of an environmentalist in his undergraduate studies. While in school, he was given his first window into factory farming and the horrors that occur in the process. So, he decided to become a vegetarian. The problem, though, would be “falling off the tofu train” when he would be coaxed into a piece of turkey at Thanksgiving and be given a hard time for “not being a vegetarian” despite taking an active role in improving what he consumed. After enough of those experiences, he discovered that what he really wanted to do was cut back. It wasn’t about being perfect. He realized that there were many people in his life that were unlikely to go full vegetarian, but in aggregate, a lot of people making a small change has a significant impact. From that mission came the term “Reducetarian” or someone who's made a commitment to cut back on the number of animal products that they consume, regardless of the degree of reduction or their motivation.
There's no monolith in terms of this movement. There are many different kinds of vegans and vegetarians with their own different philosophies. There is certainly a small percentage of vegetarians that absolutely loathe the idea of creating a movement that's built around accepting that people are flawed. However, the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians understand that it's not always reasonable to expect that most people are going to go vegan or vegetarian without fault, and it’s better to cut back than do nothing at all.
Everyone is going to have a different entry point to Reducetarian lifestyles. Sometimes it’s climate change, for others it’s animal well-being, and even workers’ rights in factory farms come into play. There's also a major barrier with respect to how people perceive vegan food. If you can present a vegan meal to someone and it actually tastes good, that can actually lower some of the hurdles. Many people also feel the struggle of imperfection–not wanting to make a change because it isn’t perfect. Reframing the space is crucial. You can have those animal products and still have an impact by reducing their consumption of them overall.
The average person eats over 200 pounds of meat a year. Reducing that by some small percentage–10, 15, 20 percent–is a huge win. It’s about educating people that making an effort is the point of being a Reducetarian. That education is two-fold–the general public and the decision-makers. The vast majority of people choose food based on taste, price, and convenience. It’s about educating the public to put pressure on those who can implement policy change.
On the horizon for the Reducetarian movement is a fellowship, mentoring students who will hopefully have an impact in the space, as well as more conferences, and exploring food tech.
Things You’ll Learn
“Reducetarian” is someone who's made a commitment to cut back on the number of animal products that they consume, regardless of the degree of reduction or their motivation
In aggregate, a lot of people making a small change and reducing the amount of meat they consume has a significant impact
The average person eats over 200 pounds of meat a year. Reducing that by some small percentage–10, 15, 20 percent–is a huge win. Having unrealistic expectations are not always the best move
Welcome back to the Greenhero Podcast! Today’s guest is Brian Kateman, co-founder and executive director of the Reducetarian Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing meat consumption with the aim of creating a more healthy, sustainable, and compassionate world. He’s the author of “Meat Me Halfway” and lead producer of the documentary under the same name.
As a child, Brian always had an affinity for the natural world and the animals that inhabit the wild. As he grew into a young adult, he became somewhat of an environmentalist in his undergraduate studies. While in school, he was given his first window into factory farming and the horrors that occur in the process. So, he decided to become a vegetarian. The problem, though, would be “falling off the tofu train” when he would be coaxed into a piece of turkey at Thanksgiving and be given a hard time for “not being a vegetarian” despite taking an active role in improving what he consumed. After enough of those experiences, he discovered that what he really wanted to do was cut back. It wasn’t about being perfect. He realized that there were many people in his life that were unlikely to go full vegetarian, but in aggregate, a lot of people making a small change has a significant impact. From that mission came the term “Reducetarian” or someone who's made a commitment to cut back on the number of animal products that they consume, regardless of the degree of reduction or their motivation.
There's no monolith in terms of this movement. There are many different kinds of vegans and vegetarians with their own different philosophies. There is certainly a small percentage of vegetarians that absolutely loathe the idea of creating a movement that's built around accepting that people are flawed. However, the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians understand that it's not always reasonable to expect that most people are going to go vegan or vegetarian without fault, and it’s better to cut back than do nothing at all.
Everyone is going to have a different entry point to Reducetarian lifestyles. Sometimes it’s climate change, for others it’s animal well-being, and even workers’ rights in factory farms come into play. There's also a major barrier with respect to how people perceive vegan food. If you can present a vegan meal to someone and it actually tastes good, that can actually lower some of the hurdles. Many people also feel the struggle of imperfection–not wanting to make a change because it isn’t perfect. Reframing the space is crucial. You can have those animal products and still have an impact by reducing their consumption of them overall.
The average person eats over 200 pounds of meat a year. Reducing that by some small percentage–10, 15, 20 percent–is a huge win. It’s about educating people that making an effort is the point of being a Reducetarian. That education is two-fold–the general public and the decision-makers. The vast majority of people choose food based on taste, price, and convenience. It’s about educating the public to put pressure on those who can implement policy change.
On the horizon for the Reducetarian movement is a fellowship, mentoring students who will hopefully have an impact in the space, as well as more conferences, and exploring food tech.
Things You’ll Learn
“Reducetarian” is someone who's made a commitment to cut back on the number of animal products that they consume, regardless of the degree of reduction or their motivation
In aggregate, a lot of people making a small change and reducing the amount of meat they consume has a significant impact
The average person eats over 200 pounds of meat a year. Reducing that by some small percentage–10, 15, 20 percent–is a huge win. Having unrealistic expectations are not always the best move