Meat abstinence and its positive environmental effect

Examining the fasting etiquettes of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Bibliographic Data

ID3868026
AuthorsTilahun Bejitual Zellelew (University of Bergamo, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume2
Issue2
Pages134-146
Publication date2014-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Research on Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2050-3032 • E-ISSN: 2050-3040
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2050303214535002
OpenAlexW1983534507
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited18

Meat abstinence, as is practiced in some religions, has a positive impact on reducing the damages that the process of meat production inflicts on the environment. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christians observe fasting by abstaining from meat for more than half a year, and this seems to do the environment and economy some good. Religion has been playing a regulatory role between ever-increasing meat demands and the country's fast-growing meat and live animal exports. The article concludes that individuals' tendency to drift from religious life practices, coupled with a growing middle class that can afford to buy meat regularly, and the country's need to maximize foreign currency through meat and livestock exportation, is likely to see Ethiopia introduce intensive livestock production in the not too distant future, to meet domestic meat demands and increase livestock export earnings

Abstinence · Business · Damages · Development economics · Earnings · Economics · Exportation · Geography · Livestock · Political science · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Law · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology

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