Swedish channel TV4 has taken its viewers aback by seriously discussing the idea of eating other people “to save the climate”.
The feature about the Stockholm fair Gastro Nord, touted as “Europe's most important gastronomic platform”, where behaviour researcher Magnus Söderlund, a professor of marketing and head of the centre for consumer marketing (CCM) at the Stockholm School of Economics, held seminars on the possibility of eating human flesh.
Addressing the host's question about what makes us react instinctively with disgust to the idea of consuming fellow humans, Söderlund, an expert in consumer behaviour, calmly said: “First of all, it's that this person about to be eaten must be dead”.
Söderlund stressed that there are many difficult taboos among the general public in the Western world, which makes it difficult for actors who want to enter the human meat industry. He has come to the conclusion that people in general have a hard time handling dead people, which he finds strange as “people have been killing each other in vast numbers over time”.
Furthermore, the researcher stressed that there are many taboos about desecrating a dead body. The third factor that makes it difficult for players to establish themselves in this industry is that the public tends to stick to what has worked well in the past.
“People in the general public are a bit conservative when it comes to eating things they are not used to”, Söderlund said.
In conclusion, the researcher stressed the importance of raising this issue for the sake of the climate.
“If we are about to leave no stone unturned when it comes to climate and sustainability questions, it is important to raise the issue”, Söderlund concluded.
While known for being passionate about the environment, ordinary Swedes, however, thought that this was a step too far.
“Stupid conservative backward people who refuse to eat each other to save the climate!” journalist Mattias Albinsson tweeted sarcastically.
“That feature was among the most infantile I've ever seen on TV”, another user chimed in.
“It's clear. We eat him first”, one suggestion said.
“What education does the pathetic cannibal professor have? Is he a graduate from New Guinea's darkest holes? Is he pulling our leg? Is he plainly after fame?” another user mused.
“What if we already eat human flesh? What do we know about the EU meat industry?” a user asked.
“Food of the future: Worms, grasshoppers or human flesh?”, a brochure released ahead of the Gastro Summit, asked readers the following questions: “Are we people too selfish to live sustainably?” and “Is cannibalism the solution to the future food problem?”.