Perspective Meat and Materiality, Kristie O'Neill

PERSPECTIVE MEAT AND MATERIALITY THE MEAT OF THE MATTER AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MATERIALITY OF MEAT research is anchored in understanding how dietary changes emerge at the intersection of trade arrangements and cultural ideals . Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Explain how governments , businesses , and eaters food 735

interests are aligned and in tension . Articulate the wide range of reactions that meat elicits from people . Discuss how we make meaning about who we are and how we should act through meat . INTRODUCTION Food researchers explain how global reductions in meat sumption will lessen environmental degradation and improve physical Yet researchers also understand that getting people to adopt dietary recommendations is difficult . Food , like meat , is not simply a physical object that people ingest in order to meet daily survival needs . This chapter will explore the more than element of meat . Scholars use the concept of materiality to illustrate that objects like meat are produced through peoples work , that they have a physical presence that people react to , and that they are used to express social relationships and The point here is to better understand how meat is socially embedded so that We can also understand why calls to change meat practices may feel unrealistic and even offensive . MEAT AND GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS STRATEGIES Governments and businesses concerns about food safety , profit , and animal welfare people Work of raising and slaughtering livestock . For instance , explains how in . Commission , Bridge 2006 . 736 MEAT AND MATERIALITY

British Columbia , Canada , regulatory attempts to align federal , provincial , and territorial meat inspection practices made it gal to slaughter animals directly on Since adopting new slaughtering standards was costly and difficult to implement , by 2012 , there were only 50 in the province , rather than the more than 300 that existed in the early The loss of local meant that fewer farmers were able to provide consumers with the locally farmed meat they desired . work illustrates that efforts to standardize meat production had the effect of favouring big businesses , which could keep up with regulations . Moreover , businesses and governments interests diverge when it comes to animals and food . The tensions that exist among ministries ( and between ministries and businesses ) media attention in 2019 when Canada revised its national food guide and launched a new version . The latest edition of Canada Food Guide recommends that people eat more based foods and lists nuts , beans , tofu , and more alongside meat , eggs , and dairy in the protein category . These promote human and environmental health in line with Health Canada mandate , yet contradict strategies that are in line with Agriculture and Canada mandate to mote Canada In short , the ways that meat is made available through livestock raising and slaughtering practices have changed over time . The approaches different ministries and businesses take to eating meat are not always in sync . However , government and are not the only actors influencing meat supplies and ing practices . Meat itself elicits many reactions . 2020 . Ibid . 2020 , 34 . 737

MEAT AND AGENCY Beyond the struggles that emerge among businesses and , it is also important to consider how meat calls forth reactions from people . Meat is a visceral substance , and invokes sensory responses . Sight , smell , texture , taste , and even sound are part of peoples experiences in responding to What is edible or The reactions meat elicits are sometimes described as indicators of the agency of In many supermarkets , raw selections are provided to consumers on trays or are wrapped in paper , seemingly distancing consumers from the process of how that particular cut came into being . Not all markets take this approach , with some offering displays of feet , heads , roasts , and live fish ( to be killed ) In this regard , meat brings about reactions from disgust to desire . What signals edibility versus inedibility changes with people cultures , preferences , and For instance , organ meats have a reputation for triggering disgust and hesitation but do not do so uniformly . Foie gras is made from geese or duck liver and is a traditional delicacy for In contrast , it also animal cruelty to other eaters , as it is produced through force feeding . The cues that eaters react to vary based on individual understandings of what is good to eat and why . Like foie gras , the edibility of veal has been hotly For some eaters , veal cutlets tinged with pink ( versus white ) to eaters that the calf was not crated and is therefore able to eat . For others , veal is never an acceptable option . The quality and cost of meat provide cues to eaters about the . Guerrero . 2020 , De 2016 . 10 . 2019 . 738 MEAT AND MATERIALITY

of animal rearing , as do colour , texture , and even 11 freshness . In addition to meat itself , the infrastructure around meat calls forth reactions . Where are to be located , and how slaughtering and butchering are in View or hidden are also part of meats agency . For example , the location of elicits reactions from people , as residents find themselves confronting the regular transport of animals to slaughterhouses , as well as related smells that can waft through their The location of and farms also brings about questions of mental racism , in terms of who bears the burden of closing to avoid smells , avoiding time outside , and the economic penalty of living in housing with depreciating value . Moreover , the outbreaks of COVID at plants have drawn attention to the fact that industrialized slaughter and butchering work is typically done by immigrants , temporary foreign ers , or people . Meat is thus a material object that people react to with their senses and daily living practices . reactions and ways of living with meat are often part of peoples culture and ties . Different options offer inviting , and socially enriching experiences to some , while symbolizing something revolting , inhuman , lacking in compassion , or taboo to others . MEAT AS CULTURE AND IDENTITY Meat is not just eaten to satiate hunger what is eaten , how it is obtained , how it is prepared , and how people come together to eat it can be an integral part of peoples cultural identities . For example , hunting , trapping , and fishing activities reflect 11 . Guerrero 2014 . 12 . 2020 News 2021 . 13 . 2020 . 739

14 . 15 . 16 . 17 . or Garden Hill First Nations , with land , animals , and This cultural foundation includes the knowledge of wildlife behaviours in their habitats , as well the protocols , including ceremonies , required to hunt , fish , trap , gather , and live on the land In this regard , relationships with people , animals , and the land are meaningfully interconnected , and eating meat reflects these bonds . The type and qualities of meat available to people in institutions and at public gatherings can also selectively invite and exclude people . In their study of the halal food market in Canada , and regularly learned from participants that having halal options readily available in markets would make them feel more Food nourishes bodies , as well as communities , and integration and inclusion matter . People express who they are and interpret each other through eating practices , and this includes if and how people eat meat . Gender expressions are associated with meat eating . A strong man script associated with meat eating links consumption to aggression , strength , and There are multiple scripts at play at any one time , which inform how people should act in different lived , and gender expressions around meat intersect with sexuality , class , race , and ethnicity . When a study about vegetarians and vegans seeking sexual partners with the same eating habits made global headlines , both journalists and responded rudely , with some commentators Thompson , 2020 . Ibid , 228 . 2020 , 17 . 2005 . Ibid . 740 MEAT AND MATERIALITY

sexual violence against The pressure to eat meat , often illuminated when people are prompted to explain why they are not eating meat , underscores how much attention we in society pay to what were What everyone else is how that obsession affects other aspects of our . 20 lives . Meat eating can be a polarizing topic . Meat eaters have been as cruel and savage , and eaters as militant and Contention sometimes emerges in discussions amongst those who think meat will destroy the planet and those who believe that livestock can heal it ( and of course those who prefer not to think about the issue at all ) 22 Discussions about meat can target people heritage and identities in ways that may not be obvious to the critic , but are degrading to those who are targets of comments . CONCLUSION This text introduced readers to ways in which meat is an stance produced through work , work that is by and businesses different interests . It also showed how meat is an substance that calls forth reactions from people , that people use to make inferences about one another , and that can nourish us physically , culturally , spiritually . Meat is socially embedded , as our relationship with it is entangled with our political , economic , social , and cultural relationships with other people . In this regard , meat is an object of considerable complexity . 19 . Potts Parry 2010 . 20 . Ibid , 65 . 2015 . 22 . Mason 2021 . 741

Discussion Questions Think of an advertisement or promotion for foods ( including packaging messages ) What claims are made about the food ?

Who is depicted ( farmers , families , eaters ) How would you describe the social demographics of the people who are depicted ( gender sion , heritage , class , sexual sion ) How would you describe their attributes ( knowledgeable , trustworthy , happy ) When marketers transmit messages about food products , they also transmit ideals about who people are and how they should act . What can these ideals tell us about the scripts that have traction in society ?

Why might it be important to pay attention to script patterns in advertising ?

Looking at Consumption Have a look at the protein section in Canada Food Guide . Based on the visual display , think of what proteins you have eaten today and consider What have you eaten that is represented in the Canada Food Guide ?

What have you eaten that was not represented in the Canada Food Guide ?

742 MEAT AND MATERIALITY Why are there differences ?

How do the differences between the Guide dietary and your everyday eating patterns light the challenges involved in making and adopting recommendations ?

Mapping Environmental Racism Through Slaughterhouses In this exercise , you will adopt an environmental racism approach to examining where slaughterhouses are in your area . The aim is to begin to identify how neighbourhood as race and of where facilitates are located . Using Google Maps find the slaughterhouse nearest to your home using the following search terms house , abattoir , meat packer , or meat processor . Write down the postal code . Go to the 2016 Statistics Canada Census Profiles and under Search click on Postal Enter the postal code of the slaughterhouse you located . You may have many additional geographic options to choose from . Try starting with federal electoral Have a look at the demographic information . A lot of information is prepared to scroll down the page . a Do a keyword search for median total When you find it , write down the figure . a There are a variety of demographics related to heritage , and they are not perfect indicators . Nonetheless , you may want to start by writing down the total population estimate reported , the total visible minority population reported , and the total who indicated Aboriginal If 743

you divide the number you wrote down for total visible minority population by the total tion estimate and multiply by 100 , and follow the same step for Aboriginal identity , you will be able to compare demographics later . Next , enter the postal code of your home . Compare graphic information based on the steps you took to ine demographics related to the nearest slaughterhouse . Compare income and demographic patterns . What similarities and differences do you observe ?

Compare your ings with others in your course . Additional Resource , 2018 . Theres Something in the Water Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities . Black Point , wood Publishing . References , and . 2020 . Understanding Halal Food Market Resolving Asymmetric Food Ethics , and Bridge . 2006 . Material Worlds ?

Resource and The Matter of Nature . Progress in Human Geography 30 . A . 2020 . The Structural Constraints on Green In Green Meat ?

Sustaining Eaters , Animals , and the Planet . Ryan 744 MEAT AND MATERIALITY and Sarah Martin ( Montreal and Kingston University Press . News . 2021 Residents , Politicians Disturbed By New Processing Plant in Neighbourhood . News . 2020 . Something to Celebrate ?

Demoting Dairy in Canada National Food journal of Food Law Policy 16 . 2016 . Contested Tastes Foie Gras and the Politics of Food . Princeton Princeton University Press . and , 2020 . Inside The Slaughterhouse . News . Commission . Summary Report of the Lancet Commission Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Food Planet , and Guerrero . 2014 . Consumer ence , Behavior and Perception About Meat and Meat Products An Meat Science 98 , A . 2020 . The Practice of Responsible Meat Green Meat ?

Sustaining Eaters , Animals , and the Planet . Ryan and Sarah Martin ( Montreal and Kingston University Press . Mason , 2021 . Book Review Green Meat ?

Sustaining Eaters , Animals and The Canadian Food Studies ( 2019 . From to Enticing Reimagining Scandalous Meat , British Food journal 12 745 Potts , and Parry . 2010 . Vegan Sexuality Challenging Masculinity through Feminism Psychology 20 0959353509351 131 , 2005 . Men , Meat , and Marriage Models of Food and Explorations in the History and Culture of Human Nourishment 13 Thompson , and . 2020 . in Garden Hill First Green Meat ?

Sustaining Eaters , and the Planet . Montreal and Kingston University Press . Ryan and Sarah Martin ( Van , and . 2020 . Is it Food or Is it Waste ?

The Materiality and Relational Agency of Food Waste Across The Value journal of Cultural Economy 13 , 2015 . and the Madness of the Doubling Narrative , Canadian Food Studies ( 746 MEAT AND MATERIALITY