Film Discussion Guide
To enhance your understanding of the concepts in the film, please also read the companion book. If you’d like to host a screening at your school, conference, company or community group, please fill out this form.
Appetizer Questions
Consider these questions either alone or with a group before you start the film.
How do you currently source animal food products (meat, milk, eggs) and why?
When you dine at a restaurant, do you look for information on menus or signage about where the meat comes from?
What cuts of meat do you typically eat?
How often do you prepare meat at home versus only eating it at restaurants?
How much of your average diet consists of processed foods?
Have you ever felt intimidated when trying to learn more about meat production or how to source better meat? If yes, in what ways?
What is your current perception about the health issues associated with red meat? Have you recently reduced your intake of red meat or animal-sourced foods?
What are the current messages about cattle and their impact on the environment? What do you think about how the media has portrayed the land use and greenhouse gasses associated with cattle?
If you aren’t already farming, have you ever considered farming as a career? Why or why not?
Post Screening Discussion Questions
The Nutritional Case for Better Meat
How has the rise of processed foods impacted the way that farmers grow our food?
How have processed foods impacted human health? How has our modern diet contributed to the rise of obesity and diabetes?
In what ways do processed foods pose challenges to changing the way most people eat?
Why have consumers become confused about whether eating red meat is bad for your health?
Many nutritional studies involve observational studies. Why is this a problem?
Does plant-based protein help address the problem we have with processed food? Why or why not?
How does our current food system impact people of color and/or low-income communities?
The Environmental Case for Better Meat
The current system
The average row crop producer, which includes things like corn and soy, is losing money. To get ahead, they often prioritize increasing yield instead of improving quality or soil health. Did this surprise you? Why is it a problem?
How has the rise of processed foods affected agriculture’s environmental impact? If processed foods are our main focus, what kinds of crops will farmers produce?
How does growing only one crop, also referred to as a monocrop, impact the environment?
The Role of Livestock
Why is it important to prioritize biodiversity in agriculture?
In what ways do livestock help contribute to a healthy ecosystem? Can we have healthy ecosystems without livestock?
In what ways does well-managed grazing mimic nature and wild herds of bison?
What is the difference between giving livestock continuous access to an entire pasture and managed grazing? Why are the differences important?
Are cow farts responsible for climate change?
How does good grazing management impact water? What was your reaction to the rainfall simulator?
How did Alejandro Carillo and the ranchers he is working with regenerate his ranch in the Chihuahuan desert? When did regenerative ranching begin in the region and why?
A World without Livestock
What would happen to our agricultural lands if we removed livestock?
Does plant-based protein improve agriculture’s impact on the environment? Why or why not?
How are vegans/vegetarians and regenetarians similar when it comes to their goals for improving our environment?
Some suggest that we should simply stop farming and rewild areas. What are the downsides to taking this approach? Is it only a choice between rewilding and continuing our existing farming practices?
The Ethical Case for Better Meat
Confronting Death
Some people are bothered by seeing images of carcasses hanging on the rail like in Hendrik Dierendonck’s butcher shop. But butcher shops used to be incredibly common in local communities and a regular part of grocery shopping. Why is it important for consumers to visit butcher shops or spend more time learning about the processing and curing phase of meat production? Follow Hendrik on Instagram here!
What was your response to the Berkeley, CA, butcher shop’s experience with animal rights protestors? After posting the sign, it experienced one of its best months of sales since opening.
Is consuming meat “murder” as some campaigns suggest, or is it part of the circle of life?
Is it possible to create a diet that does not involve some measure of death?
In what ways is a butcher shop more than just a place that sells meat?
If the world stopped producing meat tomorrow, what implications would that have for people living in developing regions? What is the danger of enacting a global diet protocol?
In your ideal world, how would we honor the life of the animals that we eat?
How did you feel about watching Ben and Rachel at Wild Harmony and learning about the issues they face with slaughter facilities?
Scaling Better Meat
If you are purchasing meat directly from a farm or ranch, what are some good questions to ask about the welfare practices used? Check out Sacred Cow’s Ethical Guide to Sourcing Better Meat for more info!
Meatworks is trying to address the lack of processing for small-scale and mid-scale producers. Would you be comfortable having a meat processing facility in your town? Why or why not?
Should meat cost more to reflect the true cost of producing it? If your answer is yes, how do we ensure that low-income families can still access appropriate nutrition? What are the ethical ramifications of pulling meat away from populations who are food insecure?
What ideas (consumer driven or policy) do you have for increasing land access to farmers, and specifically farming opportunities for youth, women, low income and BIPOC people? (the Sacred Cow book dives into some of these ideas more deeply)
Support the Case for Better Meat: The mission for better meat begins in your community. The following exercises are intended to help you learn more about how and where meat is being produced around you as well as learning more about potential opportunities to support better meat. We’d love to see how you are engaging with the material. Use the hashtags below to share what you are doing to support the nutritional, environmental, and ethical case for better emat.
#BetterMeatButcher - Find a local butcher shop and purchase a cut of meat that you haven’t tried before. Ask the butcher or counter attendant about the best way to prepare that cut and whether they have any recipe recommendations.
#BetterMeatNose2Tail - Many butchers will tell you that consumers often miss out on some of the best cuts of meat because they come from parts of the animal that are not commonly eaten. In this challenge, find a local restaurant that offers nose to tail dining and try something that you may not have considered beforehand like trotters, oxtail, or liver.
#SacredCowButcher - Take a butchery class and post about it
#SacredCowMeal - Source the ingredients for a meal from local farms or other regenerative sources. Prepare the meal and share it on social media. Be sure to tag any farmers that helped make your meal possible.
#SacredCowGenerations - Interview a relative or friend from an older generation about their experience with meat and food at large. How did they get their meat growing up? How have they seen the food system change during the decades? Post an interview video if they’re game or summarize their answers in a post.
#SacredCowontheFarm - Get your hands dirty! Connect with a local farmer and volunteer some of your time.
#SacredCowFemaleFarmers - Find a female farmer either in your community or through social media and if she is willing to speak with you ask her about her experiences.
#SacredCowBIPOC - Find a farmer of color either in your community or through social media. If they are willing to speak with you, ask them about their experiences and the barriers that they face.
Making more of an impact
Check out our Take Action page to learn about the film’s impact campaign and how to contribute.
5% of the sales from the film will go directly to a scholarship fund for low income and BIPOC farmers to attend the Savory Institute training in holistic planned grazing.
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