The world’s largest meat company, Tyson Foods, has reported a massive 92% fall in earnings. They earned $9 million in the 3 months ending June 30 2008, down from $111 million in the same quarter last year. Tyson said it paid $140 million more for grain during the quarter to feed its chickens compared to a year ago. Tyson’s beef unit, its largest unit, earned $3 million versus $36 million a year ago.

I hope they are not expecting anyone to feel sorry for them. Tyson is certainly a company our world would be much better without. Take a look at their website if you want a great example of corporate bullsh*t. ‘Tyson cares about the environment’ they say. Let’s think about that a minute. As the recent dramatic fall in profits show, this company relies upon huge amounts of soy to feed it’s animals, the very same soy that is destroying our rainforests and causing climate change. How dare they claim to care about the environment when they are instrumental in it’s destruction?

Even more laughbable is their claim that ‘the primary philanthropic focus for Tyson Foods is hunger relief. As of February, 2008, Tyson had donated more than 50 million pounds of Tyson products to hunger and disaster relief efforts since the year 2000′. So, they are sending their products to poverty stricken areas; areas such as Latin America perhaps where agribusiness has wiped out local farming and destroyed forests to make way for soy to feed Tyson’s chickens, causing the very same poverty and hunger Tyson would have us believe they aim to alleviate. Well, that’s real big of them.

On the bright side, this massive fall in profits is very positive for our planet, animals and people. Long may it continue.

I have no doubt that this year’s National Vegetarian Week (19-25 May) will be a great success, even despite the carefully planned release of research to show that some veggie burgers and sausages have as much salt in them as meaty ones (seriously, who cares? They are still the healthier option because they don’t contain animal fats that cause heart disease and cancer and they will always be the best ethical choice for animals, people and the environment).

This year more than ever, vegetarianism is about much more than animals. Climate change and the current food crisis are also making people consider their dietary choices.

The Guardian’s Tony Naylor, a ‘committed carnivore’, in his own words, sums it up well. He says on his blog “I’m no economist, but if we eat less meat, the demand for grain for animal feed (and finished meat prices, slightly paradoxically) should fall. Which, in turn, should enable poorer populations to access cheaper grain. Moreover, it would seem to be something we each can effect immediately, today, by just eating and buying less meat”.

Going vegetarian is a great step towards creating a better world, but environmental and social impacts are not just restricted to meat. Dairy cows produce methane, need grazing space and grain just like cows reared for meat. The same goes for egg producing hens, they also live off grains (corn and soy mostly) just as egg raised for meat do.