What does eating meat by us Dutch have to do with famine, water wastage and climate change? Is the situation in the Netherlands really that bad and why do I get cancer and heart attacks from eating meat? The documentary Stoppen met Vlees (Stop off meat) uses interviews with specialists, scientists and Dutch celebrities to show the effects of meat consumption on animal welfare, the environment and health. The alternatives are also discussed. In order to map these issues I made the internet documentary Stoppen met vlees (Quitting meat). The book of the same name and the film are part of the Stop meat with meat awareness process about the effects of factory farming.

stop meat documentary

Why quit meat?

Current meat consumption is responsible for some of the biggest problems facing the planet today; climate change, animal suffering, outbreaks of disease and pandemics and an unequal distribution of food resulting in poverty and hunger.

It’s better for your health
It is better for the environment and therefore for the future of the next generations
It’s better for animal welfare
There are very healthy and tasty alternatives

Quitting meat episode 1

What is it with you and meat? In this first episode (in a journey of seven episodes), get to know Robert and some of the speakers.

Quitting meat episode 2

What is it with you and meat? In this second episode Robert talks to Yvonne Kroonenberg and Loretta Schrijver, among others, about our compassion for animals in the meat industry. With Lesley Moffat of Eyes on Animals, the conversation turns to slaughterhouses and the question if there is another way to deal with mandatory stunning and how Eyes on Animals continues to engage with slaughterhouses and their employees to find solutions. Robert will also talk to students of the HAS (Hoge Agrarische School) to find out how they view their industry and animal welfare and what role regulations and politics play in this.

Quitting meat episode 3

Perhaps transportation is the most overlooked aspect of the meat industry. What actually happens to animals during transport? Are they all right? Or not? Are there any solutions? Robert speaks to Karen Soeters of the Nicolaas G. Piersson foundation. She says: “The Netherlands is the butcher of Europe”. Yvonne Kroonenberg and Guido Weijers don’t hide their opinion and TV producer Julius Jaspers also mentions the cause. Robert also visits the Eyes on Animals Foundation who follow the transports. They have a good idea of the situation in the Netherlands.

Quitting meat episode 4

In this fourth episode, Robert takes you on a deep dive into the impact of meat consumption on the environment. He speaks to several scientists who have the facts straight. Does eating meat really have that much impact on the climate, the oceans and the Amazon rainforests? Be surprised.

Quitting meat episode 5

What does eating meat have to do with diseases like cancer? Are there antibiotics in supermarket meat? And what other health risks are associated with meat consumption?

Quitting meat episode 6

In this episode, Robert explores good alternatives to meat. The standards for organic meat substitutes are stricter than for organic meat. Does a meat substitute have the same nutritional value, bite, structure and experience as meat?

Quitting meat episode 7

What does the future of meat consumption and production look like? Will awareness increase even more so that meat consumption decreases? How aware are you of your lifestyle and eating behavior regarding meat?

Donate and support us

The success of Quitting Meat depends on your support. We need money to bring attention to the effects of meat consumption through: (online) advertisements, (online) marketing, making videos and other ways to generate more attention and awareness on the effects of meat consumption in the Netherlands.

Income that cannot be used for the project will be transferred to the account of Eyes on Animals, an animal welfare organization that does great work in stables, slaughterhouses and transport.