The Book
Ban Meat?
A Not-So-Radical Policy Proposal
Animal agriculture and industrial fishing are two of the most harmful industries of the modern era.
Unfortunately, movements to protect humans, animals, and the environment from these harms have failed.
Every year, the average human eats more animal products than ever before. And every year, the harms of animal agriculture and industrial fishing worsen.
And yet there is overwhelming, bipartisan support for addressing these harms. So what has stopped us from converting this popular support into change?
In essence, we have failed to advocate for the right type of change.
Taking the harms of animal ag and industrial fishing seriously requires ending these industries.
And given the legal and political dynamics within the United States, banning the sale of animal-based foods—at first municipally and eventually federally—is perhaps the most pragmatic way to do so.
At present, “Banning Meat” is viewed as a radical idea. And that is the problem.
Banning Meat isn’t radical. In fact, its purpose aligns with the values of most voters,
and its systemic impact makes individual change easy.
In "Ban Meat," I demonstrate the ways in which readers already support ending factory farms and industrial fishing, and carry readers on a journey showing why banning the sale of meat is a response we can collectively support.
The Roots
After years of grassroots animal and environmental activism, I entered NYU's Animal Studies Program deeply aware of the harms factory farms cause. I focused my studies on exploring the possible solutions.
In 2019, I began formal research to explore this question. And after canvassing the possible options, focused my Master's thesis on meat taxes and meat bans: two particularly useful yet overlooked options.
Following the advice of my thesis advisor and program director, I’m working to expand the project into a book. But whereas my thesis was academic, the book is geared towards a general audience. The core thesis holds that meat bans can be supported by the general public, and the book’s format reflects that.
