On the plants front, know that the ratio for beef is over 20 to 1. ie a cow eats 20 calories of plants, to produce 1 calorie of meat. It's far more efficient

On the plants front, know that the ratio for beef is over 20 to 1. ie a cow eats 20 calories of plants, to produce 1 calorie of meat. It's far more efficient (and less plant consumption overall) to just eat the plant calories instead. You could make the same argument with eating engineered zero sentience humans. Or humans born with extreme disabilities. I think ethically it comes down to does the being have the ability to feel pain and suffer, and the emotional responses that come with it. eg a pig is more intelligent than a 3 year old, can solve the mirror test and has deep bonds with family, builds emotional connections, has the basic emotions we have etc. It's hard to justify their suffering and ultimate consumption by us when there are so many alternatives available.