It seems that Ted Humphreys has misunderstood the point of my letter (Mailbox, November 22).

Like many non-vegetarians when the issue of diet is discussed, Mr Humphreys has made the issue personal rather than looking at the wider picture.

We should all be saddened that we have got ourselves into the catastrophic messes that are climate change, high food prices and food scarcity. The high meat and dairy diets that people consume in the West, and are switching to in India and China, are a major factor (in some cases the main factor) in these issues – just ask the UN.

Rather than further contribute to the debate, Mr Humphreys tries to make fun. Of course, we can joke about people sitting at home and eating beans, but it's not very helpful really.

And please remember some people don't have beans. Why? Because we are currently feeding 70 per cent of the world's soya bean harvest to farmed animals, when all those beans would feed many, many more people if eaten directly.

VH Sheppard, Leicester.