What role can livestock play in a sustainable food system? In Meat: A Benign Extravagance, Simon Fairlie lays out a convincing case as to why eating meat and dairy is part of a holistic and sensible agricultural system.   In this episode, we discuss: Why widely quoted figures on livestock’s impact on the environment are misleading: from feed conversion ratios to water use to greenhouse gas emissions. How a ‘default livestock diet’ makes ecological sense The uncertainties and potential shortcomings of veganic farming An (uncomfortable) reality: truly sustainable agriculture calls for the ruralising of society   Links: Simon Fairlie's book Meat – A Benign Extravagance Simon Fairlie’s recent articles on Resilience.org ‘If you want to save the world, veganism isn’t the answer’ The Guardian   You might also like: FFS 032 – The Last Acceptable Prejudice FFS 029 – Carbon Neutral Restaurants FFS 021 – My Beef With Veganism