Paris — Are barbecues “a sign of masculinity”? An influential French green member of parliament has created a national conversation by claiming that red meat is masculine and that grilled ribs are a gender issue.
Sandrine Rousseau, a prominent member of the EELV party and self-proclaimed “eco-feminist,” has highlighted one of the most-discussed issues of the holiday season.
In an effort to attract attention to the impact of meat consumption on climate change, she stated at a weekend event that the nation must “alter its mentality so that grilling steak is no more a symbol of virility.”
Sandrine Rousseau, a member of the Europe-Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) party, participates in a debate at the French national assembly in Paris on July 11, 2022. ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty
Men consume twice as much red meat as women in the land of “steak frites” and “beef bourguignon,” according to a 50-year-old former scholar who cited study data.
As French citizens return to work after a lengthy August vacation, radio and television stations as well as social media are ablaze with fiery opinions on Rousseau’s barbecuing criticism.
“Stop accusing our young men of everything. Stop destroying our males. Stop Rousseau’s illusions, “Nadine Morano, a representative of the right, stated on Twitter.
Julien Odoul, a far-right congressman, said that “Since the beginning of time, men with greater muscle mass have consumed more meat (protein) than women. It is not “virilism,” but rather nature.”
He promised to maintain his “Cro-Magnon diet centered on French meat,” referring to the cave-dwelling, carnivorous early humans discovered in southwestern France.
The EELV hopes to raise attention to climate change by capitalizing on a summer of weather-related disasters ranging from a severe drought to massive wildfires in France. In recent weeks, the party has proposed a ban on the construction of new private swimming pools and limits on the use of private planes.
France is experiencing devastating wildfires at this time
Rousseau defended herself in an LCI television interview on Monday, stating that she was participating in a conversation on how to persuade people to modify their eating habits.
“Reducing your meat consumption is the most effective personal action against climate change, even more so than driving a car,” she said.
She asserted that men are more resistant to changing their diets than women, while acknowledging that she ate “limited amounts” of red meat and was not a strict vegetarian.
“I’m exhausted… What are our intentions? What actions are we prepared to take after experiencing the effects of climate change for the first time this summer?” She stated,
03:18 The United Nations suggests eating less meat to slow climate change.
This year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations devoted a chapter to its report on climate solutions to emphasize how consumers could significantly cut world emissions.
In addition, switching to a plant-based diet rather than eating meat was identified as one of the most beneficial improvements individuals might make.
However, the greatest possibility for avoidance lay in the reduction of long-distance flights.
Rousseau noted the work of French novelist Nora Bouazzouni, author of the 2021 book “Steaksisme,” which examined food consumption tendencies.
Bouazzouni contends that eating patterns are not influenced by gender or protein needs; rather, they are taught cultural behaviors.
Since the end of the 1990s, health concerns, increasing prices, and a growing consciousness of animal rights have contributed to a gradual decline in meat consumption in France. Despite recent efforts to promote vegetarian options, the majority of French people continue to be proud carnivores, and the majority of children consume meat at least four times each week.
Rousseau has become a prominent figure within the EELV party since she ran for the party’s candidacy in April’s presidential elections, pledging “punk ecology,” but losing to competitor Yannick Jadot.
Despite performing poorly in this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, EELV gained control of a number of key cities at the local level in 2020, notably Lyon.
In order to simplify the feeding of children during the Covid-19 pandemic, Lyon’s mayor, Gregory Doucet, provoked another food-related scandal by eliminating meat from school canteen menus.
The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, criticized this action as a “unacceptable insult” to French farmers and butchers.