ABSTRACT
Three statistics stand out in regard to this issue of government subsidies to the meat industry versus money spent for programs to benefit women and children. The first statistic is that California subsidizes water to the meat industry in the amount of $24 billion a year; the state’s budget for child welfare services is $425 million. While a tremendous amount of money is being spent to subsidize the meat industry, feminists are told that there is not enough money for child care, health care, or any other program that would benefit women. If vegetarianism was the standard diet, this tax money could be used to fund programs more vital to women’s needs and existence. The environmental costs of meat production link vegetarianism to feminism. Meat production contributes a great deal to environmental degradation. The environmental issue connects vegetarianism to feminism in that women are disproportionately affected by the destruction of the environment.
