People enjoy eating certain foods. Having options that allow you to replicate a certain taste without having to kill something is desirable to people who have gone veg.
There's also the aspects of food as a culture or social participation. People want to be able to participate in things like BBQs or eat out at restaurants with friends.
I think even vegans/vegetarians have to acknowledge they are killing plants to eat. I suspect the better for environment/health argument is more prevalent (why I eat little meat).
At some point somethings going to have to die to feed yourself (until we can gene edit photosynthesis into humans..). I take some consolation that I'll be feeding bacteria when I'm gone.
For many people there is an ethical difference between killing animals and killing plants. Most of my vegetarian/vegan friends actually abstain from meat because they don't want to be responsible for the killing of animals, not because of environmental or health concerns (though they acknowledge the added bonus)
Do you think killing an animal is the same as killing a plant? I've never met a someone who felt that way. I don't think it's common whatsoever, especially among vegetarians.
I'm not going to go that far, to equate plants and animals. The original comment said "without killing something".
so I wondered why it's a no brainer that plants are ethically ok to kill and eat but species closer to us aren't.
Anyone who's dealt with animals or pets sees intelligence and Personality. So it's easy to have empathy and want to let them live (especially if they're cute and docile). Nobody likes killing animals if unnecessary (for the most part, I never understood hunting for sport). Factory farming doesn't leave a pleasant feeling either.
But there is a trend of getting protein from bugs.. and I'm wondering were that fits into people's thinking.
It's more of a thought experiment than anything.
Idle thoughts from a species on top of the food chain with ample calories available that is the steward of the planet (and not doing too well)
There's also the aspects of food as a culture or social participation. People want to be able to participate in things like BBQs or eat out at restaurants with friends.