How China’s Growing Appetite for Meat Affects Us All
By Betty Richardson
The human connection with beef is one that has served our kind well. According to primatologists, the fundamental separator between humans and our closest genetic neighbors, the great apes, is that millions of years ago we began to kill, consume, and equally importantly, cook animals for an unparalleled source of protein. “As a species, we were designed to love meat,” notes Richard Wrangham, Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University. “Eating it literally gave us the big brains that allowed us to dominate the planet.”