You make some interesting points SpiritofZoe and it reminded me of a page I found recently that said that there is proof that some of the Neanderthal people were not consumers of any meat products. Analysis of the bacteria on their teeth is proof of that. I believe the area that was mentioned was from what we now call Spain.
Interestingly too, the analysis showed that he may have used a precursor to our modern day penicillin and salicylic acid (aspirin) which according to the researchers at the Adelaide University, suggests that those who we once thought of as extremely primitive, actually had a very good understanding of medicinal plants.
The thing you focused on in much of your comment was the cruelty aspect of modern day farming and that was my initial motivating factor in making the change I did to my routines. I think the current efforts to 'grow' meat without having to make use of living, feeling animals will be the help to a major shift in how we access protein going forward. It will not only make cruelty a thing of the past in that event, but it will also mitigate HUGELY, the impact that meat production has on a planet that is home to 9 billion people and with finite land and resources.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...-a7619081.html